The Crescent Moon that mesmerized the Green Snake
by MistressMage
Summary: The stage is set when Draco falls for a new student ,who's a pure blood witch that comes to Hogwarts after being caught in the throes of a family tragedy;and is forced to conform to society's expectations. Mesmerized by her mystery and beauty, Draco's judgment is clouded by his adolescent feelings. Assuming he's allowed to have them, being the death eater that he's now become.
1. Chapter 1

The Crescent moon that mesmerized the Green Snake

Sweet Dreams are made of screams,

Those who've lost their minds will disagree.

You travel the world on his seven teeth.

Everybody's looking for someone and they found you.

These were the instrumental lyrics of the melancholy song that played through Jaime Cressy's cellphone headphones. Her head was tilted and gently resting on the cold glass of the backseat window in her uncle's car. The left side of her body was touched by an oversized suit case containing hers and her Brother Oliver's belongings. Said brother was on the other side of the leather case. Most of the items were rescued from a recent tragedy that almost took her life, but forever killed her spirit, and with her spirit, so to go her parents. Even through the music playing in her ears, Jaime could still hear her parents yelling at her to get out of the house, and save herself while they went to rouse Oliver from his sleep.

But there was no need for that, as Jaime could recall hearing another pair of footsteps that quickly followed behind hers, as she descended down the stairs, just barely able to see where she was going in the fog of smoke that drowned the living room accompanied by vast streaks of fire. Just thinking of the hellish scenery brought on a headache for Jaime and she immediately yanked the ear plugs out of her head. Her gaze shifted over to Oliver who was still sleeping soundly, not minding the cold of the filthy glass, that would slightly tussled his hair. In front of her, her uncle Nigel was intently focused on the road ahead of him, and their chosen destination: King's Cross Station and then Platform Nine and Three Quarters in Muggle London. Yes, 16 year old Jaime Elizabeth Nymeria Reiss Cressy is a pureblood witch who is about to enter her sixth year of schooling at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Her brother Oliver Jonathan Reiss Cressy would be entering his fifth year. Up until this, point, the two of them were homeschooled in the ways of magic by their parents, but did it while living back and forth between wizarding London, and muggle London. Despite their mother's Greek ethnicity, the family stayed in their father's home in Europe. From the moment she and her brother could read and write they were well educated by their parents. Everything from Potions and Arithimancy, to Charms, and Transfiguration. And of course they couldn't leave out muggle studies. The family was able to avoid detection from the Ministry of Magic through their great grandmother, Olenna Reiss, the matriarch of her mother's clan, the pure blood house of Reiss that currently resides in Wizarding Greece.

She and Oliver were homeschooled under the claim that the pureblood wizard society had fallen prey to unjust racism, prejudice, and bigotry which led to the corruption and poison of pureblood superiority being drilled into the minds of impressionable young pureblood children, by their parents and drilled into them by their parents. A perfect example would be the Malfoys and their centuries old tradition of "keeping the wizarding bloodlines pure and keeping the muggles and half bloods in their place." Such prejudice was reason enough for the Cressy's to lead their own children in the direction that they deemed to be pure, thereby encouraging Jaime and Oliver to make friends with other muggle and half blood wizards and witches who lived in the area.

But all of that was altered when an unknown fire broke out in the middle of the night and took away everything, their home, their possessions, and worst yet, their parents. All of this took place in muggle London where Jaime and Oliver stayed for another two weeks before the ministry stepped in and personally mailed the children their Hogwarts letters. From that day on, Jaime's emotions were colder than the rain; silent, grey, and showing little sign of departure. As he finished sighing heavily, the car pulled to a stop and Jaime could see the sign overhead through the windshield that read out King's Cross Station. From where they were in the parking lot. Instinctively, Jaime reached over and roused Oliver from his sleep.

Their uncle Nigel opened the door to move around to the trunk of the car and began unloading the rest of his niece and nephew's belongings. Moving past the backseat window, he caught a glimpse at Jaime's face and felt his heart sink slowly. He too was grieving the loss of his brother and sister in law and he knew that Oliver was too. But no one was experiencing more pain than Jaime, especially at the loss of her mother. In the entire family, there was never a bond more solid than that of Jaime and her mother, Elizabeth. Mostly everything that she learned about magic, she learned from her mother. In Nigel's opinion, Elizabeth was a more than perfect teacher, given her youth and wisdom which spanned beyond her years. Wisdom that would now be carried over to her children.

The same could also be said for his brother whose death now left a long stream of broken hearts in his family, especially with their younger sister, Rhealla, Jaime and Oliver's paternal aunt. On the way of the burial, there was no clear emotion on her face, but it was clear to everyone who was present that she was hurting. As was her niece. Nigal stopped his train of thought long enough to pull another suitcase from the trunk of the car and place it on one of the nearby luggage carts that was conveniently close to where the car was parked. By this time, Jaime was leaning against the car with the other trunk situated near her feet and quietly observing her surroundings, with a expression of deep thought and stone silence on her face. Her white headphones were sticking slightly out of one the pockets of her camouflage green jacket.

Her brother was looking at something behind Nigel and simultaneously playing with whatever was on his phone. It was frighteningly uncanny how much the two of them resembled their parents. Oliver was blessed with his father's sparkling green eyes and soft mass of brown hair, whilst Jaime was gifted with her mother's chocolate brown eyes and luscious black hair that brushes her shoulders. With the last remaining suitcase already in her possession for her to carry, Nigel looked back up at his niece and nephew and did his best to muster up a smile.

"Well, all that's left now is to find Platform Nine and Three Quarters. " he said. Upon hearing this, Oliver's gaze turned to his uncle, as did his sister's, but he was the first one to speak.

"But you'll be coming with us, right?" asked Oliver.

It was an innocent enough question, but the sad truth of the matter was that once the two of them boarded the Hogwart's Express, they only had each other to depend on. Yes, there were letters from the post and holidays, but what was all of that compared to being shipped off to unknown territory with only yourself to depend on? Nigel saw these inevitable facts written on Jaime's face, but he tried not to think about this and answered Oliver's question as best as he could.

"Of course, Oliver. However, just not on the train. But once you guys get to Hogwarts, you know what to do right?" he asked. This time, looking at Jaime expectantly. This time, she put aside her surly attitude long enough to answer her uncle.

"Yes, we grab our luggage, and separate from the rest of the crowd to look for someone by the name of Argus Filch. From there, we'll be taken to the Headmasters office, receive our timetables, be sorted into our houses, find our dorms, get settled in, and go about the rest of the year as if everything is under the radar and normal as can be." Said Jaime as if she were reading words straight from a book.

There was no clear sign of feeling to be detected, only half interested Nigel could do was look at his feet in exasperation ."Jaime, I never said that you should try to stay under the radar, but at least try to make a few friends." he said. This time, it was Oliver who spoke. "But what about our friends in Stratford upon Avon?" he asked.

Unlike his sister his eyes shimmered with sadness and loneliness, only made more evident by the vibrant color that they were. Whereas Jaime's were cold and dead, and almost unfeeling despite the luscious chocolate brown texture that they were. "Well that's why there are holidays and summer vacation." responded Nigel. He turned to look around the parking lot of King's Cross Station, before placing his hands on the luggage cart.

"Well come on, you two. The day's only getting shorter, and the train will be leaving soon." he said. Despite her surly attitude, Jaime was still willing to comply with what was asked of her. So she reached down, and picked up the suitcase by it's straps, opting not to put it on the luggage cart. Just as she walked by, Nigel placed his hand on her shoulder, immediately catching her attention. "What is it?" she asked. Nigel's eyes didn't leave her face for even a minute. If anything he was memorizing her features, not knowing when he would see her or Oliver again. "This may be a lot to ask, but I'm going to need to hold on to your electronic devices from here on out." he said.

It didn't take long for both Jaime's and Oliver's eyes to widen in utter disbelief. Of course, the children were briefed on what they could and couldn't bring to Hogwarts. Electronic devices such as cellphones and computers were some of them. But like any teenager, wizard, witch, or muggle, the two of them couldn't bear to part with them. One of the benefits they had from growing up in muggle London was that the children were in tune to certain gadgets that supposedly made muggle lives easier. But whether or not they made muggle life easier didn't matter to the children, they were just fascinated that these devices could do what they did. Now having to part with them at a time like this was almost too much to ask.

"Can't we at least wait until we get to the platform"? asked Oliver. Nigel had no objections to this of course. If anything he was someone who firmly believed in compromise. And he knew that his niece and nephew were the same way." Fine, but I'm counting on you to remind me". he said, directly to Jaime. And just as he predicted, she nodded her head in agreement. "Alright." she said. That being said, the trio gathered their luggage and began their journey through King's Cross Station. From outside the weather was terribly gloomy with grey clouds that blocked out the natural blue of the skies, but allowed for small rays of sunlight to slip through and shine down upon the earth. Surprisingly, this was Jaime's favorite type of weather, but on this particular day, it did nothing but add to her grief.

And the microscopic rays of sunlight that occasionally poked through the clouds weren't helping her in the slightest, it was as if they were mocking her saying "I will be in this world a little while longer, but you're going to have to move on with everything in your life, and no one concerned about your grief. Which was a half truth and a cruel reality.

She and Oliver could have continued their homeschooling of they wanted to, but all of their relatives on both sides of their families had their own families and occupations to look after. Even their uncle was currently involved in a courtship with a young witch from wizarding France. Their family wasn't poor, but they only made enough money to support their own individual families, and the inclusion of two more occupants was enough to put a strain on whatever salary they earned, so the Ministry of Magic stepped in and declared that with Jaime as the overseer of herself and Oliver, the children were capable of looking out for each other.

So Hogwarts was where they were being sent to continues their education, and continue their lives. Moving deeper into King's Cross Station, Jaime could see a multitude of people preparing to either board a train, or have departed from one. Different luggage carts carried suitcases and trunks that varied in shape, size, and color, but they all looked the same to Jaime. It seemed as though her grief was clouding her eyesight. That or it was just a small headache, but hopefully a nap on the train would clear her head. Looking to her left , she sees her brother is taking in everything about the station, his eyes saoking up all of the sights. A pair of light green sponges that tried to look optimistic, but contained an underlying sadness. To her right her uncle had an extremely focused look about him, as he navigated the three of them through the crowd of people in search of the hidden platform that would lead them to Wizarding London.

It was plain to Jaime and to Oliver ,as well that despite their uncle's attempts at putting on a brave face he was hurting right along with them. Jaime had heard that as soon as he saw them off on them off, he would go and visit his sister, their aunt Rhealla and see if she was still grieving her deceased brother with the aid of alcohol. The only reason she stayed as sober as she did was because of Jaime and Oliver, but as she lived alone, there was no one to tell her she couldn't suffer a relapse and so she did. All of the reminiscing seemed to make the journey move by even faster, because before she realized it Jaime was standing face to face with the pillar that would take her and brother to Wizarding London and the rest of their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Jaime didn't know how long she was staring at the concrete pillar. The one that would take her back to her birth home, the one that she traveled back and forth all of her life. Of course she didn't have a problem with this, but going back at a time like this, and with the circumstances being what they are, made her intestines twist themselves in knots. In her mind she was reminded of one of the many songs that she had on her phone, but this one seemed to sum up the majority of her situation.

Secret, hidden underneath it,

Trying hard to keep it

Safely out of reach.

Creeping, I can feel it breathing

Calling to the surface ,

Finally in my dreams.

Sweet despair feel you devour me...

Silently, Oh won't you carry me...

Home...

The idea of home would now be alien to Jaime. Even with her brother by her side and her relatives standing behind her, she would always feel grief, and she'd always feel a sense of helplessness. And her secret desire to cry was too great to let others see. This though was broken by the feeling of a hand being placed on her shoulder. Nigal had switched arms so that the luggage cart was in his left arm and his right arm was giving a bit of comfort to his niece. Oliver wasn't too far behind him as he watched the non verbal interaction between his sister and uncle.

As far as he was concerned he was slightly happy to be returning to Wizarding London. Of course he would always consider Muggle London as a home away from home, but something about returning to his birth home made him only a tad bit happy. As he knew that home, would never really be home without their parents. Oliver moved closer to the luggage cart that was in his uncle's loose grip. Gingerly he was able to remove the handle and took hold of the cart. He moved to near be Jaime, but was trying to stand closer to his uncle as reached another hand into his pocket to remove his cellphone.

As his nephew's hand came into his line of sight, he broke his gentle gaze that was directed toward Jaime and looked distractedly at Oliver. At the sight of the cellphone he let out a gentle sigh. "Oh thank you, Oliver." he said. He then proceeded to pocket the phone and the white well used headphones that soon accompanied them. He then turned toward Jaime, expecting her to do the same thing, only to discover that her hand was quick to withdraw her own cellphone and the black headphones that accompanied them as well. Despite his initial surprise, he was at least happy that she was complicit enough to follow instructions. "Well thank you, dear." he said. He noticed that Oliver had taken hold of the luggage cart when we wasn't paying attention and saw that he was rearing to go.

"Well here we go. Jaime ,Oliver ,let's do this together." he said, with both arms securely wrapped around both children. With Jaime holding one of the suitcases in a firm grip, and Oliver holding the luggage cart in an iron vice grip, the trio ran full speed ahead into the wall. Momentarily, they were surrounded by darkness, only to be transported into Wizarding London and onto platform of the Hogwarts Express. An overwhelming sense of nostalgia began to take over the children, coming in waves as pairs of green and brown eyes feasted on the sights of younger wizards and witches carrying around their own luggage and their own pets. Looking back at the luggage carts, Jaime noticed that there were two cages sitting on top of the suitcases. Hers and Oliver's own pets were sitting idly on their luggage cart ,in their cages, courtesy of their great grandmother, Olenna. Jaime's was a grey cat by the name of Cersei, while Oliver's new companion was white owl by the name of Battler.

Both of whom were patiently waiting for their master and mistress. The sight of her new pet seemed to trigger something in Jaime's mind to check and see if she still had her wand tucked away in her clothing. With one hand she lifted up her jacket ,while her other hand felt around near her the belt of her jeans, and to her relief, her smooth black wand, was tucked safely inside one of the loops of her belt. Looking back to Oliver, she saw that he too had unveiled his wand to show their uncle. She could still remember the first time she and Oliver had received their wands from Olivander, both at the age of 11. It was a wonderful feeling, but they weren't allowed to use them unless they were in Wizarding London. And now they were.

At the mention of family, Jaime caught sight of the Weasleys. Molly Weasley and her children Ronald, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George. Each child carried their own bit of luggage toward the train. There was no doubt that they'd heard about the fire that destroyed her home, as it was news concerning the wizarding world, but just the sight of them, the whole family made her heart ache. Was it in envy, or sorrow? She didn't know. When it seemed as though Molly Weasley had caught her stare, Jaime turned away and tried to distract herself by hauling forth the suitcase she was carrying and moving over to the luggage cart to pick up Cersei. In doing this, she noticed that Oliver already had Battler's cage in one hand, and a suitcase in the other.

It was then that she realized that this was where everything will change and yet she and Oliver are expected to act as if everything is okay. This must be what grief really feels like.


	3. Chapter 3

. It took everything that Jaime had to keep from letting the tears fall from her ducts, as her grip on her luggage and Cersei's cage became vice tight. Looking back, she saw her brother and uncle in tight embrace that came to end two seconds later. Almost immediately, Nigel's gaze turned toward Jaime, and before she realized what was going on, her paternal uncle came toward her and was holding her in a tight embrace. From over his shoulder, she could see Oliver looking at everything else on the train platform, except for his sister and uncle; his expression was unreadable.

For the briefest moment, Jaime could swear that she felt something wet falling on her shoulder. This was coupled with the sound of chocked sobs being made by her uncle. His tear drops seemed to directly flow onto her jacket like raindrops down a drain pipe, but that became irrelevant when she heard him speak into her jacket. "Jaime, dear. I'm so sorry for this. I don't expect you to forgive me, but there is one thing that I need to ask of you. Please, whatever you do, stand your ground. Stand your ground even if the whole world stands against you. "

When he looked up at her, his own chocolate brown eyes were swollen, red, and brimming with tears. While her eyes were filled with confusion, and dismay over her uncle's own display of emotions. "Other witches and wizards, they probably won't accept your ways. They won't understand. But I will. Your uncle always will". Having said this, Nigel proceeded to pull Jaime back into a warm embrace. "When this is all over, promise me that you'll return. That's all I ask of you. "Jaime was at a loss for what to say. As she once again looking over her uncle's shoulder, she was no longer looking around the station, but now she was looking up at the sky, seeing that the sun was beginning to peek out from the clouds. But with things being what they are, it didn't seem like an option at this point in time. A variety of emotions began to come over Jaime, but it was difficult to discern which one would become dominant. Would it be confusion, sadness, anxiety, or maybe even stoicism? The last one seemed like an understatement, considering the fact that her stoicism and cynicism practically walk hand in hand. However, sadness and anxiety were beginning to close in on her.

Yet before they could shove their way to the surface, a train whistle was blown loudly throughout the platform, symbolizing that the train would be leaving at any second. Almost instantaneously, Nigel released his grip on Jaime, and wiped the tears from his eyes, reverting back to his normal level headed state. "Well, the two of you had better hurry now. But know that I love you and your brother ,dearly."

Said brother was moving to get on the train with his suitcase tucked under one arm, and Battler's cage tucked under another. Looking behind him, Oliver saw that his sister was slower to gather her things, and his uncle was giving him a warm smile .One that promised support and love that couldn't be reached from a faraway distance. Couldn't be touched, couldn't be heard, and couldn't be reciprocated, except with Jaime. Despite her silent disposition, Jaime was a good friend to have. When it seemed as though she wasn't listening to something, she actually was. Even before their parents died, she had the most intimidating aura surrounding her, probably brought on by the martial arts training that she'd received from their maternal uncle, long before Oliver was born. But by the time he was, their parents no longer saw a need to for the training to continue, and as such, Oliver was considered the more sensitive of the two of them.

And yet, Jaime was the only one to know of the full extent of her brother's sensitivity, though she never once mocked him for it. In fact, she never said much of anything, which was fine with him. On that note, the both of them finally managed to jump on the train before the whistle could blow for the second time, and the train could pull of seconds later. It didn't take very long for Jaime to remove herself from her uncle's grip, and gather her things, following her brother onto the train. Her expression remained emotionless, but to anyone who looked carefully enough, you could see the wheels in her head turning, as she contemplated what her uncle had just said to her. There were a multitude of things that she would need to stand her ground against, but the whole world was another story in general, assuming that she and her brother are hit with more misadventure, while on their own.


	4. Chapter 4

Yet as Jaime gazed upon the smiling faces of the witches and wizards that filled up the train compartments, her cynicism began to creep up on her, until her expressionless countenance turned into one of indifference to what was going, save for finding an empty compartment. Coming toward what she believed to be the second to last train compartment, she felt what she though was someone tugging on the back of her jacket. Looking back, she saw that it was only Oliver who had managed to procure an empty compartment, just for the two of them. At the sight of this, Jaime let out an audible sigh of relief, and proceeded to place her suitcase on the rack above her and Oliver's head, and place Cersei's cage at her left side, before sitting down.

She glanced in her brother's direction to see him attempting to make Battler's acquaintance. The white owl simply ruffled it's feathers and turned it's head in various directions, in response to it's master's attempts at friendship. A ghost of smile grazed Jaime's lips, but it was short lived as her gaze shifted back and forth between the left side of the their train compartment, where there were other witches and wizards conversing with one another, and the right side where the scenery depicted a massive spread of land that could be seen for miles away. The ride would be a long one, so how the two of them passed the time varied. While Oliver could easily find something to occupy himself at any given time and place, Jaime's hobbies could only be conducted under specific circumstances. She could continue reading her favorite muggle text, The Illiad and The Odyssey, but it was stored away in her suitcase, and she was in no mood to pull it back out, even with the use of her magic.

Suddenly feeling at a loss for what to do, she did the only thing that didn't require physical exertion, but strictly mental. She laid back, closed her eyes, and visualized, as well as recited the Greek Alphabet. At the tender age of seven, Jaime decided to explore her foreign heritage, having been exposed to Greek literature and writings that her grandmother had laying around. Not to mention the overwhelming curiosity that she felt having heard her mother speak it at one point, or another. These lessons didn't interfere with magic lessons ,and she became fluent by the time she was eleven. Even now, it had yet to falter. This included reciting the alphabet, reading back sentences that her mother wrote down, listening by ear, reading passages that were given to her, and interpreting in English. Oliver wasn't as fluent as his sister, as he could only do small phrases, but it didn't bother him. He was intelligent in his own right.

There was something about being bilingual that always brought a sense of calm over Jaime, as if she was in possession of something that came so few and in between. Although she doesn't speak it as much as she used to, certain phrases seemed to be ingrained into her memory, and only came out, when certain occasions arose. After the fire, she didn't say much of anything. In her eyes, everything was dyed black and white, and nothing else mattered, unless she wanted it to. And at the present time, the only thing that seemed to matter was their survival; hers and Oliver's. Opening, one of her eyes, she saw that said brother was still trying to converse with Battler, and was even trying to bribe him with whatever he could find in his pocket. Another ghost of a smile grazed her lips. Everything else in her line of sight wasn't worth a second look, but her brother would always be right in front of her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** **This should have been established at the beginning of chapter 1, but the following fanfic uses characters from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Franchise. I do not own any of the characters associated with this franchise, except for Jaime, her brother, and the others that follow.**

While he was intelligent to know right from wrong, he was too much of an emotional thinker to listen to reason, if he was pushed hard enough. Other than that he was almost all smiles. There were often times where Jaime wished that he had been born with her practicality. Maybe then he could see things for what they truly are. Empty words and pitiful stares that act as protection for the truly hellacious identity that is spurred on by selfish agendas and blind loyalty to whatever god awful long term goal has been set. Yet, this was the conclusion that she came to in the time that they were in the Ministry of Magic, awaiting news about their guardianship. The entire atmosphere was fraught with concerns of blood status and managerial promotions. No one even spared a glance at the adolescent witch and wizard wearing slightly tattered clothes and slightly unkempt hair.

Some of the Higher ups in the Ministry probably though that the two of them were muggles who were the surviving victims of a death eater attack on the Muggle world. Of course, they did. Save for the fact that they were both born in St. Mungo's, the two of them could be indistinguishable from muggle borns. More than a few wizards and witches inquired as to whether or not the two of them needed help, but Jaime was more than quick to respond with a curt response and brief eye contact, sending them on their way. Just thinking back on it made her clench her fists in brief anger, and exhale slowly. She then proceeded to turn her head to the right facing the window, as to find a comfortable sleeping angle, that is if she was able to fall asleep.

Oliver saw this, but before he could address his concern, a trolley cart stopped at their compartment. Said cart was being pushed by a woman who appeared to be in her mid to early 60's. She was dressed in a red sweater vest underneath a pink button down shirt, and an equally red skirt that touched her knees. Her hair was white and styled in a way that it only touched her ears. Her face sported more than a few wrinkles, given how old she was. Nevertheless, she managed to approach them with a smile on her lips.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She asked. The trolley in question was filled to brim with various wizarding candies and desserts that they'd only eaten more than a few times when they were both toddlers. This included Chocolate Frogs, Plum Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, Exploding bonbons, and the ever popular Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Oliver looked over to his sister, expecting her to speak first, and purchase something. Instead he was greeted with the same indifference that had manifested itself since the death of their late parents. "Don't worry about me. Just make sure you're going to eat it all." She said. Jaime now had her head turned a full 90 degrees away from him and toward the window.

If it was anyone else, they'd accused her of throwing shade. But Oliver knew better than to judge his sister on how she decided grieve their loss. Maybe she would do enough grieving for the both of them. So, he rose to his feet, and approached the trolley, with his hand in his pocket, preparing to pay for whatever he chose to purchase. After thoroughly surveying the colorful assortments, he settled on a few slices of Green Apple Strips. The woman was more than happy to deliver them to him, wrapped in a disposable paper covering with three of the strips of candy sticking out. Thusly, Oliver paid his two galleons worth, and went to sit back down. Seeing what his master had returned with, Battler began to flap his wings in an excited manner, and move his head against the bars of the cage, practically begging to be given a piece of the candy.

Now Jaime felt compelled to speak, before he gave in to his pet's demands. "Do you really think that that's a good idea? I get that you have to reward pets for good behavior once in a while, but if you give that to him now, he'll be unable to serve you later". she said. This would be considered one of the few moments where Jaime didn't let her cynicism cloud her judgment. Where they could be brother and sister again. Oliver proceeded to remove one of the green strips of candy, and place it directly on his tongue, all the while ignoring Battler's whining. His facial expression was nothing short of delighted at the feeling of the flavored candy, washing over his taste buds. A small smirk was displayed on his lips, whilst he continued to enjoy his treat. More than likely, the candy was going to spoil whatever they were meant to eat later on for dinner, but so long as the rest of his needs were taken care of, Oliver should be fine.

At least, that's what Jaime wanted to think. Looking back out at the scenery laid before her, Jaime was quick to notice that the sun was beginning it's descent over the hills, making way for the night. With any luck, the train would pull into the station early into the evening. Another thing that warranted Jaime's attention. By the time the train pulled up to the castle, they would be expected to be dressed in the uniforms that were provided for them until they were sorted into their houses. This consisted of a button down white shirt, a black skirt, or in Oliver's case, pants, a black tie, and the black sweater vest with the Hogwarts insignia. The insignia which displayed the four great houses; one of which they'll be sorted into, in no time at all. Or so Jaime's read. Fortunately, they were already wearing suitable black shoes, so there shouldn't be an issue with it clashing with their temporary uniforms. Jaime wasted no time in relaying this to her brother.

She looked back to him to see that Oliver was near to finishing the Green Apple strips, whilst Battler had turned his head away from his master in order to brood the refusal of a snack. "Hey, before I forget, we need to change into the uniforms that Nigel made us pack earlier. Chances are we'll be at Hogwarts pretty soon". she said. At the mention of school, Oliver's countenance now displayed a flicker of nostalgia, having been accustomed to being homeschooled along side his sister in the silence and serenity that was their living room. Never to worry about the traffic of a thousand and one bodies all pushing and shoving each other in order to get to the next class. Never once having to fuss over whether or not the food would be edible. Never having to be afraid of being bullied by other kids for any indiscretions that set him apart from them.

Yet this is what their late parents had told them as a means of keeping up the sheltered facade that they lived in a world free of racism and bigotry. Muggle and Wizarding. But like a thin sheet of glass, the facade was shattered and destroyed beyond repair. 16 years of little white lies, and blind admiration had come undone in a single night. Now whatever was left of their old life was little more than memories. Just thinking about it made Oliver frown. He was now emulating his sister's movements, and turned his attention to the window. His eyes slightly down casted. "Right. Okay." he said. The night had come quicker than Jaime had originally anticipated. Before she knew it, she and Oliver were dressed in their uniforms, had their bags and their pets under their arms, and were preparing to exit the train, once it made it's stop near the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

***Before this chapter begins, let me say a quick thank you to FullMoonOnTheWater for being the first to leave a review. It's always s welcomed and appreciated, so once again, thank you. As always, I do not possess ownership of any of the characters associated with the Harry Potter Franchise. Except for Jaime, her brother, and a few others.**

Oliver looked to his sister, only to see that her countenance hadn't changed since they left their uncle's temporary home in Muggle London. Apathetic, slightly serious, and not a single hint of anxiety to be seen. She was too upset to be anxious, or even nervous. Yet it wasn't his place to question his sister and her decisions, unless it was a life or death situation, given the fact that they were duty bound to protect each other. In any event, the both of them were more than ready to exit the train, the moment they felt it gently lurch to a complete stop. Just as Jaime had predicted, the sun was all but gone, making way for the night, and leaving the two of them to face their new home.

From their own train compartment, they could hear the voices of numerous other kids, preparing to move toward the exit .Oliver was the first one to stand up with his suitcases under one arm, and Battler's cage under the other. Jaime quickly followed suite, and picked up her belongings with relative ease. She was the first to stick her head out of the compartment to, see the backs of various boys and girls, as they made their way off the train, and onto the platform. Jaime turned to look at Oliver for confirmation that he was ready. His eyes were glazed with pure trepidation and worry, his posture was in dire need of improvement, and he as stood as still as their parents graves.

Therefore, she deduced that he was anything but ready. So Jaime set down her belongings and approached her brother. She took hold of his hands, making him drop his own luggage, and held his fingers in a locked embrace with her own. "Listen to me, I'm not happy about this anymore than you are. More than likely, the kids at this school know about the fire, assuming they read the Daily Prophet. Chances are, there's going to be more than a few insensitive idiots who'll ask their own brand of ignorant questions about what happened that night. They won't understand us". Now she had to pause, as she now found herself about to repeat the same words that Nigel spoke to her at the platform. Even if he'd already said them to Oliver, she'd paraphrase him.

Jaime looked back behind herself to see if anyone else was on the train to hear their conversation. She was only met with a heavy silence. So she turned back to her brother, with their fingers still locked together. "The point I'm trying to make is that as long as we have each other, we can barrel through whatever is thrown our way. As long as your in my life, I can fight to the bitter end". By now, the both of them were on the verge of crying for what felt like the umpteenth time since their loss. Oliver looked as if he would beat her to it, given the tears that were gathering in his ducts. Jaime saw this and pulled him into a loose embrace, with his own arms hanging loosely by his side. Perhaps he choose to devote his energy to his tears.

But in Jaime's heart, she knew that she could cry later. She could cry when she was sure that her brother was safe and settled in. She could cry when she was sure that no one was watching, when she was alone. Nevertheless, Jaime removed herself from her brother and reached down for his belongings, moving them to be placed in his hands. And while he managed to clasp them, he did it with mechanical energy. When she looked back up at his face, it was wet with only the slightest of tears. She felt compelled to say something else, but the words fell flat on her tongue. As such, she gathered her own belongings and moved for the exit. Before she could move any further, she turned back around, to see if Oliver would follow her. To her surprise, he did just that, and together the two of them made for the platform.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the train was empty, making them the last two students to depart it. Each compartment that they passed was void of any and all life. The only warmth to be found was in the soft glow of the lights that shone above their heads. It seemed to contrast nicely with the mahogany wood and black and maroon colored furniture that decorated every inch of the train. Even so, it's aesthetic quality meant nothing to either of them. Jaime especially. Each hallway that they turned down was no different than the last one. The same style of furniture, and the same aesthetic quality repeated itself with seemingly no end in sight.

Before they realized it, they were outside, and on the platform, facing the darkness of the night. Looking to the left and the right, Jaime noticed a few students with their luggage, looking for the entrance to the castle. But she and Oliver weren't meant to follow them. The two of them were meant to find someone by the name of Argus Filch, and be escorted to the headmaster's office. But he was nowhere to be found. They were told that said man would be holding up a sign with their last name on it, but no such person was in the area. Not to mention the platform was almost empty, save for a few other kids who still must have been looking for the castle entrance. Both Jaime and Oliver continued to look back and forth at the left and right sides of the platform, to see if Argus Filch was anywhere in sight.

Still, there was no such person to be seen for miles. With an annoyed sigh, Jaime began walking down the left side of the platform, with her luggage in tow. Oliver was quick to follow behind her. "Hey, shouldn't we wait for this Argus guy a little longer? I mean we only just got here. Maybe he's running a little late". He said. Nevertheless, his sister continued her walk down the road, passing by the kids that they'd seen from before, not even sparing them a glance. Still she managed to respond to her brother. "Be that as it may, he should have been here, ready to pick us up". Judging from her tone of voice, she was less than impressed with how things were turning out. The same could even be said for Oliver, but he wasn't as willing to show his discontentment, as his sister was.

The further down that Jaime walked, the less the scenery was changing. To the left and right of her, all she could see for miles was an endless mass of trees. The lack of stars that were in the sky contrasted nicely with the dark green of the tree leaves. There was a slight breeze in the air that blew Jaime's hair in behind her, in the most beautiful way imaginable. But Jaime could care less about how she looked at the moment. Her primary concern was ensuring hers and her brother's safety. But for the time being, her current concern was locating this Argus Filch, wherever he may be. Jaime took in the scenery around her one more time, before her eyes were set on the platform to see a man standing more than a few meters away from them. He wore a black trench coat that touched his ankles, over a button down white shirt, and a green suit vest. His hair was balding toward the middle of his head, while the rest of it was combed down to the sides and touched his shoulders.

In his hands, he was holding in front of him a single sheet of white paper that Jaime guessed had their last name on it. He was standing directly in front of the train, expecting them to come out and come directly in contact with him. He couldn't have been more clueless though. Seeing this, Jaime was tempted to rush up to him, and passive aggressively tell him how incompetent he was. Yet this wasn't an option, as she had her brother to consider. She proceeded to look over her shoulder and make sure that Oliver was keeping up with her. To her, relief he was holding up well, with both his luggage and Battler's cage under each arm.

As they moved closer to Argus Filch, he was still blissfully waiting for the two of them to come off the train, unaware of their approach from his right side. Eventually, he began to see the two teenagers coming toward him from out of his periphiel vision. Now that she had a better look at his face, Jaime could see that this person was not someone who was in tune with the younger generation. The multiple bags under his eyes, the Crow's feet, and wrinkles that outlined his features, painted a less than attractive first impression for the two of them. "What do you lot want, eh?" he asked. His piercing blue eyes settled on Jaime for two seconds before they turned to look at Oliver who returned his surprised gaze.

Meanwhile, Jaime moved a step closer toward him, with her eyes transfixed on the misspelling of their last name, with a 'c' where the second 's' would be, making it out to seem like a shortening of the word 'crescent'. Seeing this, Jaime turned her gaze back to the man in question, and addressed the problem. "Not that it's important, but you've spelled our name incorrectly. There's an unnecessary 'c' in there". She said. Argus turned to look at her ,with pure annoyance on his face. Yet when he looked back at the witch before him, something in her eyes compelled him to hold his tongue a moment longer.

The apathy that she displayed was almost intimidating, even to an older man like him. Oliver didn't seem all that fazed by it, and continued to stand quietly by. Though instead of starting a trivial argument around the matter, Jaime sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear. "Anyway, we're the Cressy Siblings. We were meant to see you to take us to a Professor Dumbledore". She said. As she said this, Argus' eyes lit up in realization of his task . "Oh, yeah. We've been expecting you two". With that, he tossed the sign he'd been holding up to the ground and, and motioned his eyes towards her luggage, expecting them to carry it themselves. He then turned on his heels, and walked away. Jaime and Oliver looked at each other for a moment, before quickly grabbing their belongings , and moving to follow their guide.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer** **: I can't apologize enough for the excessive delay in updating chapters, but school's been eating up more of my time than I could've imagined. Anyway, I'll try to stay as consistent as humanly possible, when uploading future chapters, since there's no rest for the wicked… Having said that, I do not possess ownership of Harry Potter, or the characters associated within it.**

It wasn't long before Argus spoke to them again. "So what brings you two to a grand old place like this?" It was clear that he was being sarcastic when he said 'grand old.' While they were both liable to tell him a complete lie, telepathically they decided to tell him a half truth. It was Jaime who beat him to this punch. "Nothing much. Just a series of unfortunate circumstances that compelled the Ministry to step in and lend a hand". While it was eloquent enough to be believable statement, Oliver couldn't overlook the bitterness that entered his sister's voice, at the mention of the Ministry. Argus didn't bother to stop, but shook his head in a nod. "Ah. Sounds like you lot were in a bit of scrap before coming here". He said. Jaime was quick to respond, in the hopes of ending this conversation. "Something like that". That seemed to be a good enough answer to make him stop talking, because the rest of the walk continued in silence.

Soon enough, the three of them approached a tall, metal gate that began to open up once they came within a few feet of it. As soon as they were on the other side of it the gate closed shut behind them, only for a thin sheet of mist to rise up from it, serving as a protection ward from predators trying to enter the school grounds. Here is where Argus stopped, and reached for something in his coat pocket. He then turned toward the two siblings, with his right hand clenched. Both of their brows furrowed in confusion at the sight of this. "Alright you too, what I have in my hand is a port key. It's going to take us directly to Dumbledore, and from there, you'll be taken to the common room of whatever house you're sorted into". He said. Oliver had half a mind to tell him that they were already told all of this information.

However, he could tell just from looking at this man, that doing so would get them nowhere fast. He wasn't surprised at how apathetic Jaime's response was. "Alright. We're ready when you are". She said. In response to this, Argus opened up his palm to reveal a black, thin skeleton key. The circular head of the key was decorated with various circular patterns carved into it, making the aesthetic quality even more appealing. The color was a pure metallic black, giving it a gothic overtone as well. Argus grasped the other end of the key, leaving the circular end, open for them to take. Oliver was all but ready to take the key, but not before turning to look in his sister's direction, to see what she'd do. When Jaime caught her brother's gaze from her periphial vision, her eyes visibly softened. As if she was telepathically communicating a message of reassurance. She then looked back to Argus, with her apathy coming back in full force. "So we just take hold of this key, and we'll be taken to the headmaster. Is that it? "she asked.

Argus was a tad bit thrown off by the monotony that was delivered with the question, but answered none the less. "Yeah, more or less." He said. With that being said, Jaime set luggage down on the ground, and retrieved her wand from somewhere within her uniform. A simple shrinking spell was used to make her suitcase small enough to stuff into her pocket. She did the same thing to Oliver's bags, until the only that they'd be grasping were the cages of their pets. Argus couldn't help but watch this with mild interest. With said cages back in their hands, Jaime and Oliver took hold of the key in front of them, and were immediately caught in the whirlwind of the apparation. A sharp whip of air resonated throughout the platform, as the three of them literally vanished into thin air.

Within the headmaster's office, another sharp whip of air was sounded, as Argus, Jaime, and Oliver now stood within the scholarly setting of Dumbledore's office, and within the stone interior of the archaic castle. Dumbledore himself was sitting at his desk, reading something on parchment when he realized that he wasn't alone in his office anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer** **: Before this chapter begins, there's something that I want to address for a moment. The past three reviews that were posted on this story have all pertained to there being too much irrelevant information for 7 straight chapters. The reason for this is to ensure that it won't come up later in the middle of the story, thus interrupting the progress. Nevertheless, thank you to everyone who reviewed thus far: FullMoonOnTheWater, and 1998Ruby1998. That was very sweet of you. I hope this disclaimer clears up your concerns. So without further ado, here is a Harry Potter based story, who's characters I do not possess owner ship of, except for Jaime, Oliver, and others that may have been mentioned. Enjoy**

When he lifted his eyes up from what he was reading, a small smile graced his lips at the sight of the two newest students to come to Hogwarts. His gaze shifted over to Argus before he decided to address the teenagers. "Thank you, Argus. That will be all for now." He said. As opposed to leaving the office, knowing that he would be needed again at some point, Argus moved toward a table sitting near the corner of the room, and sat down in the available chair. He watched the scene before him unfold, as he removed a flask of fire whiskey from within his coat, and indulged in the alcoholic beverage.

Dumbledore stood up from his seat, and moved to stand next to his desk, quietly observing the two of them. In return, Jaime and Oliver observed him right back. Before long, a smile was forming on his face. "Well, I believe that introductions are in order. In case, you haven't already heard from Argus, I'm the headmaster of this institution, Professor Dumbledore." He said. He continued to observe the teenagers, taking note of how uninterested Jaime seemed to be. Oliver himself looked surprised at the sight of such an elderly man claiming to be the headmaster.

The silence that consumed the room was all too palpable for Oliver to bear before he broke it. "I'm Oliver, and this is my older sister, Jaime. But you probably already knew that." He said. The smile that was on Dumbledore's face widened, seeing that at least one of the Cressy Siblings was capable of common courtesy. But he wasn't in a position to judge Jaime, after the hell that she and her brother have endure. "Yes of course". He said. He bowed his head in acknowledgement and moved to look for something around his office. While he did so, he continued talking. "I must say that I was deeply sadden to hear about what happened. It's a shame that your relatives couldn't give you the helping hand that you two needed. "he said. Oliver didn't have to look at his sister to know that she didn't take very kindly to what Dumbledore had just said. Nevertheless, she stayed quite. Dumbledore continued to open up various draws and compartments around his office. All the while, Oliver continued to talk, in the hopes of debunking his misconception about their situation. "I think you've got the wrong idea. It's not that they weren't willing to help, but they have their own families to support. Apparently their coin purses wouldn't be able to support two more people". He said.

Dumbledore stopped what he was doing and looked back at them in momentary surprise. "I see. Well hopefully, the two of you will feel at home, whilst you're here." He said. Oliver didn't say anything after that, knowing that that would never be the case. Before long, Dumbledore approached them with a brown, slightly pointed hat, that appeared to be worse for wear. "Alright, what I am holding is a Hogwarts artifact that will determine what house you will be sorted into for the duration of your stay here. It's known simply as the Sorting Hat". He said

Dumbledore grabbed the hat by it's sagging tip, and unveiled his wand from somewhere within his robes. He then used a nonverbal spell to drag over a stool that was sitting somewhere in the corner of the immense office space. Once again, he looked expectantly at the two of them. "Remember, whatever house you're sorted into, you must treat it like you treat each other. Like family". He said. From what he observed thus far, the two of them didn't seem like trouble makers, but Dumbledore also had to keep in mind their pureblood lineage. If they're anything like Draco, and the other Slytherin students ,they would make fast friends with the other purebloods. But only time would tell if this would occur. "Are there any questions thus far?" He asked them.

Jaime finally spoke for the first time, during their entire time being in this office. "None here whatsoever". She said. Oliver was quick to respond. "No ,sir." He said. With that, Dumbledore concealed his wand within his robes, and motioned for one of them to come forward. "Then let us begin". He said. Not wanting to waste anymore Jaime was the first one to take a seat upon the stool. Dumbledore didn't hesitate to place the hat on her head. A few moments later the hat took on a life of it's own as it began to probe Jaime's mind. "Alright then. Let's see what we have here. Well You're a confident one for starters; loads of physical and mental strength, perfect for a Gryffindor. Yet I can sense a vulnerability beneath your mask of logic". It said. At the mention of being vulnerable, Jaime couldn't help but bite her tongue. Instead of throwing shade at the hitherto inanimate hat, Jaime gave the best answer that she could come up with. "Look, it's really nothing to be concerned about. I'm just not used to how fast everything is moving. That's all." She said.

Of course, both Dumbledore and the sorting hat saw through this excuse, but said nothing of it. Even Oliver was aware of how hastily made up the excuse was, despite his sister's vast intelligence. Nevertheless, the sorting hat continued with it's task. "Well then, better be…Ravenclaw!" It exclaimed proudly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** **I know that's been a few reviews concerning irrelevant information, but this chapter, does not contain that. It's simply stating how Jaime and Oliver are being escorted to their new house, with Argus as their guide. I could have sped it up so that the two of them would encounter Malfoy the very next day, but as I'm a pretty descriptive writer, for the most part, I'd say that details like these, are important ,in order to establish mood in a story. But don't pull your hair out just yet, because Draco is going to make his debut appearance in the next chapter, then he'll become a more involved character in the story. So, as you already know, the characters used in this fanfic, with the exception of the OCs, do not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. They belong to their rightful owner, J.K. Rowling.**

No more than a second later, Dumbledore removed the hat from her head. As usual, Jaime's countenance was nothing short of apathetic. But she was quick to stand up and move to the side so that Oliver could sit down. Once again, Dumbledore set the hat upon his head, as it slowly rose to life. "Well now, I'm sensing a familiar bond here. Siblings, in fact. But where to put you? You've got a good head on shoulders, and a great mind to back it up. While you're a bit lackluster, compared to your sister, you seem to be vastly better when put to the test". Oliver didn't have time to respond to what the hat had said before it made it's final choice. "Well then, better be…Ravenclaw!" It said.

Dumbledore immediately removed the hat from his head, and moved to place it back where he'd found it. Oliver stood up from where he was seated, and moved to stand next to Jaime, only to see her unveil her wand, and her miniature suitcase, and place the suitcase on the floor. "Engorgio". She said. Within seconds, the suitcase was restored to it's normal size. Oliver followed suit, and removed his own suitcase, and laid it on the ground for Jaime to use the same spell. She did just that, and the two of them were back to carrying their pets and luggage all at once. Argus' footsteps could be heard coming toward them, except when Jaime looked at him from her peripheral vision, she could see that he had an oil lamp in his hand, which was already lit. "Right then, let's get you two off to bed. It's well past lights out anyway". He said.

The two of them were all but ready to leave, until Dumbledore 's voice called out to them once more. "Ms. Cressy, Mr. Cressy, I do hope you enjoy your time here. I know that this may seem like a business arrangement concocted by the Ministry, but I do hope that before long, you'll come to consider Hogwarts a second home". He said. The siblings looked at each other for the umpteenth time that day, knowing that Dumbledore's attempt at appeasing , them would do nothing to help their situation. At least from Jaime's perspective. Nevertheless, Dumbledore wished them goodnight, and sent them on their way. Outside in the hallway, the stone walls of the castle were nothing short of foreboding, especially in the dead of night. The light that came from Argus' oil lamp was the only thing that offered any form of comfort in the grim, archaic atmosphere of the castle. Argus moved in front of them, lighting the way to the Ravenclaw dormitory.

Which brought a question to Oliver's mind, concerning their living space. "Excuse me, but if you don't mind my asking, what exactly is a Ravenclaw?" He asked. Argus kept walking, but slightly turned his head around to look at him. "It's one of the four great houses of this school, named after the founder herself, Rowena Ravenclaw. Witches and Wizards are sorted in this house based on their intellect, and value of learning, which was the case with you two". He said. The two of them couldn't help but think that this was biased to say the least, but Argus did say that Ravenclaw was one of four houses that were in the castle, so more than likely, the other three houses excepted students based on other qualities.

With this assumption in mind, Jaime piggybacked off of her brother's question. "And what about the other three houses? What do they look for in students?" She asked. The three of them were soon approaching a flight of steps, and moved up them with Argus' light still leading them. "Well let's see. The Gryffindor's except bravery, and chivalry, the Slytherins are cunning and ambitious, and the Hufflepuffs are loyal, and unafraid of hard work, whatever the hell that means". He said. The whole time that he spoke, he seemed intent on getting them to Ravenclaw common room, as quickly as possible ,as his footsteps began to increase in pace. Even as they climbed more steps, Oliver was becoming short of breath, due to energy he was exerting to keep up with Argus. Even Jaime was starting to feel agitated at how fast he was moving ahead of them.

Until she finally made her distress known. "Hey, would it kill you to slow down a bit? We're falling behind here!" She shouted. Argus immediately stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her ,with the most incredulous look on his face. In all the years that he'd been the caretaker at Hogwarts, he'd seen more than his fair share of disrespectful kids, but something about the way Jaime addressed him, forced him to stop and actually pay attention to her. If she were any other witch, he'd give her his best evil eye, and carry on with his business. But she seemed to be another matter entirely. How unapologetic she was about shouting at an elder, how uncaring she seemed to be about raising her voice in the middle of the night. And whats more, was the fire that seemed to burn behind her eyes, as she stared at Argus, with pure irritation that replaced her usual apathy. Next to her, Oliver seemed relieved that they'd stopped walking at this point, and had the same expectant look on his face, though it wasn't as intense as his sister's.

Not wanting to cause a scene, and stir up any ghosts that may be lurking within the walls, Argus nodded his head toward the ground, before looking back at the siblings. "Alright, I guess I'll move a little slower then". He said. He was hesitant in his speech, probably to avoid being under the intensity of Jaime's glare, if he messed up his words. Once the trio began moving, Argus began to make himself aware of exactly how fast he was moving, as not to upset her again. After more walking on level ground, and more walking up staircases, it seemed like the two of them would never reach their destination. Just as Jaime was prepared to express her annoyance at this, Argus stopped in front of an, enormous stone white statue of a richly outfitted witch, holding her wand in her right hand. It didn't take long for the statue to take on a life of it's own, just as the sorting hat had done, and face the three of them expectantly. "What came first? The Phoenix, or the flame?" It said smoothly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** **I understand what I said in the previous chapter, about Draco making his debut appearance, but I feel that it was important to establish character traits about Jaime and Oliver, when interacting with other characters, that may or may not change as the story progresses. I'm sorry if this seems inconvenient to the plot ,but I promise here and now that Draco will make his grand entrance into the story, when the next chapter comes around.**

Both Jaime and Oliver furrowed their brows in confusion, it was an easy enough riddle, but the question remained as to why they were expected to know it, even if they were new students. They should have been given some kind of leeway on their first day. Argus seemed unfazed, and answered the statue directly. "Look, Rowena, these here are new students, fresh off the train. So why not be a doll, and save the formalities for tomorrow, eh?" He asked. The statue's countenance remained unchanged, as it was illuminated by the light of the oil lamp. "Be that as it may, what came first, the Phoenix, or the Flame?" It asked again. Argus let out a sigh of fatigue, and turned to look at the two of them,expectantly. "Well if you lot want to sleep tonight, you've got to answer her riddle". He said. Not wanting to waste anymore time than what already was, Jaime moved in front of the now darkened statue, and looked it straight in where she assumed it's face was. "That's a trick question. A circle has no beginning". She said.

From behind her, Argus was nothing short of impressed as to how quick she was to solve it on her first try. But then again, that's why they were sorted into Ravenclaw House. The statue immediately moved aside, and opened up to reveal the house common room. Jaime looked behind her to see Oliver release a sigh, at being one step closer to resting his head for the night. She felt the same way, and with hesitant steps, moved inside of the darkened common room. For the third time that day, Jaime unveiled her wand from insider her sweater vest, and raised it in front of her. "Lumos Maximas."She said. The darkness of the room was, all but extinguished by the light emanating from Jaime's wand. The furniture that filled the enormous room consisted of multiple couches, desks and even two bookshelves against the walls.

The curtains that draped down from the ceiling were a royal blue color, and mingled perfectly with the bronze and eggshell white that also covered the room in some areas. While Jaime continued to inspect their new living quarters, she could hear Oliver step inside of the room ,and Argus along with him. The light from Argus' lamp provided even more illumination for Jaime to see two staircases, on either side of the wall, further into the common room. She hazard a guess in assuming one way lead to the girls sleeping quarters. The other way lead to the boys. Which raised the question as to where they were expected to sleep, now that they've made it this far. As if he read her mind, Argus addressed this concern, whilst watching as Oliver looked around the room. "I know that this may seem callous, but you lot are going to have to sleep on these here couches, until some extra beds become available."

At the sound of this, Jaime slowly turned a full 360 to look at Argus and Oliver, who had a similar expression on his face. With the light of her wand in his face, Argus squinted his eyes, and stepped back a few feet towards the door, afraid of repeating what had happened in the hallway. "Look, I don't know what to tell you except for that. With any luck, your head of house should be able to secure you two beds of your own. Till that time comes, you lot are confined to these here couches". He said. Oliver was the first one to secure a spot on the closest couch, and rest his head in his hands in pure exhaustion. The aforementioned couch was wide enough when it came to length, but came up short, as far as the width was concerned. Then again, Oliver had a lithe figure that should be more than capable of staying on the couch, assuming he doesn't toss and turn.

Knowing that this was an irrefutable situation, Jaime set her sights on the couch on the opposite side of the room, that was more than a few feet away from where Oliver was sleeping. She followed her brother's example and sat on the couch, more than ready for a good night's sleep. Argus turned around, and made for the door, but not before he turned to look back at the two teenagers. "Breakfast in the Great Hall starts at 7:30,if you two want to eat. Sleep tight then". He said. With that, he started out the door, with the light of the lamp, decreasing in illumination, and almost cloaking Jaime and Oliver in total darkness. Of course the light that was still coming from Jaime's wand, this would have been the case. She had half a mind to start a fire in the fireplace that was adjacent to them, but she didn't out of worry that someone would be woken up. Which meant that she and Oliver would have to change their clothes, by the light of her wand.

Speaking of Oliver, Jaime shined her wand in front of him to see that him with his own wand in his right hand. "What exactly do you intend to do with that?" She asked. Her voice was little more than a whisper, yet it was audible to the two of them. "Just wanted to change into something more comfortable if we're going to be sleeping on these couches". He said. A nonverbal spell was all it took for him to change from his uniform into a pair of pajama bottoms, and a button down pajama shirt. She wanted to inquire as to what happened to the pillow and a blanket, but decided against it, so long as he was comfortable where he was. Jaime soon followed his example, and laid her body down on the couch, now that she was wearing more comfortable clothes. She turned her head around to see Oliver doing the same thing, and looking at her. "I love you. Do you hear me?" She said.

His eyes were glassy with fatigue, and his mind was ready to shut down for the night, but he stayed up long enough to hear his sister's words. "Yeah, loud and clear. I love you too. Let's give them Hell". He said. That being said, Oliver turned away from Jaime, to sleep and replenish his energy. She then extinguished the light from her wand, and rested her head on the couch pillow. She turned her head away from Oliver, and waited for sleep to claim her. Of course, this in itself was easier said than done, especially given the fact that they would be here for an extended amount of time.

But this situation would only be what they made it. And once their education was complete, Jaime planned to move both herself and Oliver to Wizarding Greece and start a career in Dueling. Once this idea popped into her mind, Jaime began to think long term, wanting to plan for the future and be as prepared as possible. Just as she was thinking about finding her own living space, her eyelids began to grow heavy, as she and sleep finally found each other.

When she tried to wake up the next morning, it was to the sound of some trying to address her, and possibly Oliver. "Hey, are you alright? Can you hear me?" The voice that addressed her seemed to belong to a girl. None the less, Jaime was in no mood to wake up from a dead sleep. Losing sleep was not something she tolerated very well. When she didn't even stir, another voice entered her subconscious mind. "Hey, did anyone here the two of them come in last night?" This one now belonged to a boy. Almost instantaneously, the voices of other kids began to mingle together in one confused symphony. "Someone, go get Flitwick." "How did they get past Rowena's statue?" "Are they even sorted into this house?"

These voices were growing more and more frantic until, Jaime reluctantly opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurry, but she could see Oliver with his back turned to her, and still out cold. Two of the kids who inquired about their presence were standing over him, trying to examine if he was awake, or playing dead. Seeing this, her subconscious mind went into red alert, and she forced her body to slightly sit up. When she looked straight ahead, she came face to face with a girl who had pale blond hair, and skin, and steel blue eyes that seemed to be lost in a permanent state of daydream. "Good morning. What was it like sleeping on the couch? I personally have never tried it, but it seems like it would be a likeable experience, now seeing you do it". She said.

Jaime was at a loss as to whether she was still dreaming, or on the receiving of a terrible joke. Even the way the girl spoke was nothing short of dreamy, and lost, despite the fact that she seemed to be very well aware of what she'd just said. "Luna, I don't think now is the right time to be asking questions like that". The one who said this was a girl of Asian ethnicity, who stood off to the right of the girl named Luna, and approached Jaime with cautious steps. "I'm Cho Chang, and this is Luna Lovegood". Her speech was hesitant, as she was addressing a complete stranger, but it was friendly none the less. "Not to be rude, but do the two of you belong in this house? If so, why weren't you at the sorting ceremony?" She asked.

Now that she was wide awake, Jaime was quick to realize that the common room was practically filled with witches and wizards who were staring at herself and Oliver. Speaking of Oliver, he too was beginning to wake up from a much interrupted sleep. Seeing that he was alright, Jaime tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and turned back to Cho. "Well, the simplest answer that I can give you is yes, we were sorted into this house, as of last night, by the headmaster himself. As to why we weren't at the sorting ceremony, the short answer that I can give you, is that we've been transferred to this school to continue or education, in accordance with our current predicament." She said. Cho shook her head in understanding, and Luna continued to watch Jaime with the hypnotized expression. Oliver glanced back and forth between his sister and the two witches she was conversing with.

He knew that Jaime was liable to lie and tell them a completely fabricated, but well put together story. Yet she choose to give them a small portion of the truth, excluding the reason behind their 'predicament'. As if they really owed these people an explanation. "Forgive me, but what exactly do you mean by predicament?" Asked Cho. Jaime's previously fatigued expression all but immediately morphed into one of pure indifference, knowing that she didn't owe this girl an explanation. She sat up on the couch completely, and moved to locate her suitcase, which she'd stashed underneath the couch the night before. She tucked her hair behind her left ear again, and stared at Cho from out of her peripheral vision. "Nothing that should concern you". She said.

Cho was all but incredulous, at the disrespect that she'd been dealt by someone she just met. What really threw her off was the lack of remorse that Jaime had for what she'd said. Draco Malfoy didn't even come close. Oliver wasn't even shocked, let alone surprised by his sister's blatant apathy, and rudeness toward a girl that she'd just met. Never the less, it was no business of Cho's, as to why they were here. Not to mention, he was the one who suggested that they raise Hell ,while staying at Hogwarts.

Suddenly, his attention was directed to the blond haired girl who sat closest to Jaime, on the arm of the couch. "Could it have something to do with family? That's always the strangest predicament for me. Yet somehow, the things we love have a way of coming back to us, in the end". She said. Now it was Oliver's turn to stare at Luna with shock and disbelief painting his countenance. There was no possible way that she could have known the reason behind their being at Hogwarts, unless she somehow used Legillimens when she made eye contact with Jaime.

Said sister shared his expression of shock, but it was soon replaced by anger, as she stopped rummaging through her suitcase long enough to glare at Luna, and shoot her multiple daggers. "And just what do you think you know about"-Before Jaime could finish her sentence, the door to the common room was opened, and two more students walked in followed by a goblin, dressed in formal teaching robes, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose. "What's going on here?" He asked. His eyes scanned over everyone and everything in the common room until they landed on Jaime and Oliver. At the sight of them, his eyes slightly widened in realization. "Well what do we have hear? You two must be the new students Dumbledore just informed me about. Ms. Jaime Cressy, and Mr. Oliver Cressy, yes?" He asked. Jaime was still aghast about her minor altercation with Luna, leaving Oliver to answer for the both of them. "Yes, we are". He said.

The goblin walked further into the room and moved to wear Jaime and Oliver were seated. A small smile graced his lips at the sight of the two newest students to be sorted into his house. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Ms. Cressy. I'm Proffesor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw House. Now if I recall correctly, you are in your fifth year, and your sister is in her sixth year, is that correct?" He asked. Oliver looked over to his sister to see that she too was looking at their new Professor. She then looked over to Oliver and nodded her head, to confirm that this was the case. Oliver turned back to Flitwick, and once again answered on their behalf. "Yes, that is the case. He said. When he said this, the other kids who were present began to move out of the common Room to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Flitwick reached into the pockets of his robes, and produced two sheets of folded parchment. "Well in that case, here are your schedules for the year. It looks like you have first period charms with me, Ms. Cressy." He said, looking at Jaime with the friendliest expression on his face, but it did nothing to faze her. "Thank you". She said. She turned her attention back to her suitcase, and looked to see how she was, as far as her uniforms were concerned, seeing as the one that she wore last night, was the only one in her possession. It was then that Jaime realized that she could simply transfigure her own clothes to look like the necessary uniforms, and go shopping for more at a later date. As far as other items went, she was equipped with the textbooks that were provided to her by great great grandmother, undergarments, shoes, toiletries ,combs, and brushes.

"Is there something wrong Ms. Cressy?" Asked Flitwick. Jaime quickly looked up from the belongings in her suitcase, to see her new professor staring at her intently. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. "Yes. What exactly are the requirements of the uniforms in this school?". She asked. Of course, Flitwick was quick to answer. "Well as you are a Ravenclaw now, the colors that you are required to wear consist of blue and silver. As far as clothes are concerned, the standard uniform consists of a white button down shirt, a tie with your house color, a black sweater vest, and standard black skirts, or pants". He said. With that in mind, Jaime pulled out an outfit that consisted of a long sleeved white shirt, a black pullover hood, a royal blue skirt, and a pair of black stockings. With her wand now in her hand, she transfigured her clothes to match the description that Flitwick gave her.

Soon enough, the previous outfit that she'd produced was now a standard Hogwarts uniform, befitting a Ravenclaw student. Flitwick stared at her with pure astonishment on his countenance, at the perfect transfiguration that she made. Classes had yet to be in session, yet she was displaying remarkable magical skill that may even surpass Hermoine Granger. "That was quite impressive, Ms. Cressy. Did you take up transfiguration courses before coming to Hogwarts?" He asked. Jaime let the compliment flow into one ear, and flow out the other, but saw fit to answer the question that came after it. "If Dumbledore told you anything about our background you'd know that we were homeschooled in the ways of magic before coming here". She said.

Flitwick was instantly taken back at how curt her response was. Of course he'd been made aware of their background, but he was more interested to see what her response would be, as this might give some insight to her personality. And now he knows. But this was only one of the two Cressy Siblings. What would Oliver be like? He wondered. From what Flitwick observed thus far, he didn't seem to emulate his sister, as far as his personality goes. He looked at the aforementioned wizard, and saw that he too was rummaging through his own suitcase, gathering his own clothes, completely unfazed by the way his sister spoke to an elder. Said sister addressed him again before he could fully process this thought. "Where are your showers?" She asked with her clothes, and toiletries in her hands. "It's in the girls dormitory ,to the right of you. The same goes for you, Mr. Cressy. Only to the left of you, in the boys dormitory.

The siblings looked at each other and nodded knowingly, before going their separate ways. When they were out of sight, Flitwick set down the two parchments that he'd been holding, and left the common room to eat breakfast ,and prepare for his first class of the day.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I honestly cannot apologize enough for the delay in updating. For whatever reason, the WIFI on my laptop wasn't working all week, which made posting new chapters, utterly impossible. Luckily, I didn't need the internet to get some writing done, so be sure to expect more chapter soon enough. As I promised in the previous chapter, Draco is going to make his debut appearance, here in this chapter down below. So, as you already know, Harry Potter and the characters contained within the franchise do not belong to me. But to their rightful owner, J.K. Rowling.**

When Jaime and Oliver were together again, it was in the Great Hall eating breakfast with the other Ravenclaw students. Of course, Dumbledore gave an introductory speech to the student body, wishing everyone a productive year as well as announcing that Lucius Malfoy has been reinstated to his former position as one of the Hogwarts governors. At the sound of this, there was a quite chorus of whispers throughout the Great Hall. But the Slytherin table was bubbling with excitement at the news of Lucius' return. Everyone except for his son, who's face began to pale at the mention of his tyrannical father. Nevertheless, it simmered down as quickly as it had started up, and the student body was left to finish breakfast. Eventually, the two siblings departed for their separate classes. Jaime to charms, and Oliver to Herbology. Just as they were ready to part ways in the corridors, they engaged in a bone crushing hug and promised each other that they wouldn't draw a single ounce of attention to themselves, no matter what happened. They exchanged their love for each other, and went their separate ways until lunch.

The first period class of the day marked the first day of Jaime's new life. But for Draco Malfoy, it was a new day ,in the life of a newly appointed death eater. Not this was something to be particularly excited about. The classroom itself was of an enormous width and length with students occupying every available desk. Jaime's eyes were slightly down casted, looking at nothing in particular. Her expression was nothing short of apathetic, as everyone and everything around her seemed irrelevant. Eventually, the voice of Flitwick broke her concentration. "Alright class, everyone remove everything from your desks with the exception of your wands. We're going to be learning how to charm water into vinegar, and build off of that, over the next week. Also, to my understanding, we have a new student joining us today. Uh, Ms. Jaime Cressy, I trust that this spell should be no trouble for you given your previous background in magic". He said. His friendliness was not wasted on her.

He seemed intent on forgetting how rude she was in the common room. So far, he was the nicest staff member that she's encountered, next to Dumbledore. Soon enough, he turned his attention back to the rest of the class, and used a nonverbal spell to produce a glass of water for each person. "Now on the count of three, everyone begin charming your glasses". He said. At the sound of this, everyone raised their wands toward the glasses set in front of them. Including Jaime. It wasn't long before Flitwick began his countdown. "One…Two…Three!" He said. Soon enough, everyone in the room was attempting to charm their glasses into pure vinegar. From where Jaime was seated, she could see a couple of sixth year Slytherins messing up the charm, entirely, and turning the water into what appeared to be apple juice, or sprite soda. Other Ravenclaws turned their water into vaporized air, and were even foolish enough to create ice. Even Draco seemed to be less concerned about completing the assignment and simply sat with one hand on his wand, and the other one supporting his head.

Jaime remained unfazed by this, and directed her wand back to her own glass. With her attention centered on the one object, she flicked her wrist, and let her magic flow through the wand, and toward the water in the glass. Instantly the water was transformed into pure vinegar. But her control slipped momentarily, and the glass began to overflow with vinegar. Instinctively, she backed away from it, as to avoid the spill. When it seemed like the vinegar would spill over the desk, Jaime raised her wand and immediately stopped it. This action didn't go unnoticed by Flitwick, and he stepped down from his desk to come and observe her progress. Ignoring the spill, he dipped his pointer finger into the glass and placed it in his mouth, to test the authenticity of the liquid.

Jaime watched him indifferently as Flitwick continued to ponder the taste on his tongue. After a moment of contemplation he opened his eyes and marveled at the glass in pure astonishment. "Why, it's perfect! See here, everyone. Ms. Cressy's done it!" He exclaimed. It only took seconds for the class to stop what they were doing to look at this new witch, and her perfectly charmed glass. Even Hermoine Granger was slightly aghast at Jaime's skill, having only been in the class for five minutes. For the second time that day, a chorus of whispers erupted throughout the room. "Well would you look at that. Someone who could finally knock that mud blood Granger off of her perch". Whispered one Slytherin. Draco ,was of course within earshot, to hear this, and removed his head from his hand, to observe her further.

And he, of course, was intrigued to see what else this witch had to offer. From where he was seated, on the other side of the room, horizontal from her, he wasn't afraid to admit that he liked what he saw. Her raven black hair trailed down her shoulders in the most beautiful way imaginable. It was well complimented by her healthy, pale skin, soft brown eyes, perfectly shaped eyebrows, soft pink lips, and even more perfectly shaped face. In the six years that he'd been at Hogwarts, he'd seen more than his fair share of desirable females, all pureblood of course. But as he looked upon this one in particular, he couldn't help but feel that she had something to offer, other than being a witch, who seemed to possess more magical talent than Granger. This was made evident by the fact that Flitwick didn't dispense praise lightly, that is until Granger came along. But before long, the teachers grew tired of their favorite, know it all mud blood, and didn't give her as much praise as they used to. And now here was Flitwick, complementing this new girl who didn't seem to care, nor acknowledge the whispers that were murmured around the room and directed at her. Instead of partaking in these rumors himself Draco was more interested to learn more about this new witch. But first there was the matter of learning her blood status.

When Jaime and Oliver were reunited again it was time for lunch, and by then, it became common knowledge among the student body that these two new students were something to behold. Even the Golden Trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermoine were temporary footnotes compared to this witch and wizard. Yet in spite of all the covert glances and whispered speculations, Jaime and Oliver didn't make it a point to entertain, or even acknowledge them. They were both content to sit in the Great Hall, and eat their lunch just like everyone else who was present.

Over at the Slytherin table, Draco was content to just play with his food, and contemplate his current situation. He was now a newly appointed Death Eater, by order of his father, and Voldemort, Lucius ,being the school governor that he was, could come to castle at any moment, and scrutinize his son for anything, and everything, and whats more, Draco was still keen to learn about this new witch, who'd come to Hogwarts, completely out of the blue, possessing skill and intellect that trumps Granger's a thousand times over.

So far they've shared three classes together, and in each one, she's managed to astound the teachers, and the students with her intelligence and magical prowess. The only drawback was that she didn't seem to care about the attention that she was attracting, and kept up the same stoic expression. The more that she remained unfazed by her surroundings, the more his curiosity seemed to grow. Her name wasn't difficult to learn, but if he knew her blood status, Draco was fairly certain that he could make an ally of her, and use her to achieve whatever means are necessary. And the fact that she was beautiful was an added bonus as well. He would've used Pansy, like he had so many times in the past, but their relationship of 'give and take' had long since run it's course.

As he continued to observe her from afar, he couldn't help but notice how happy Jaime suddenly seemed to be in the presence of a brown haired boy, that he assumed was her brother. The small smile that graced her lips didn't go unnoticed either. Draco found himself forcefully keeping his eyes open, trying to ingrain the image into his memory. He barely knew her, and yet he wished that smile was for him. But his concentration was broken by Crabbe who sat on his right. "Hey, Malfoy, what's got you do distracted, eh?" He asked. When he didn't get an answer, he followed Draco's stare and craned his neck to get a better look at what, or rather, who Draco was looking at. Seeing that it was the new girl, an idiotic looking grin made it's way across Crabbe's face. "Oh. So you fancy that piece of fresh meat, over there, do you? Then go for it, mate". He encouraged.

Hearing this, Draco snapped out of his hypnotized state, and glared at the wizard sitting to his right. "You really think I'm going to approach her without learning her blood status first? I'd just as soon go and shag Bulstrode". He said, accusingly. But Crabbe wouldn't take the hint, and thus continued. "You know, she probably like that. Assuming Pansy doesn't kill her first". Draco didn't pay him any attention, so kept on talking. "Then again that new girl you've been ogling ,could give Pansy a run for her money, given how well she's bested Granger so far". The smallest of smirks began to tug at Draco's lips, as he internally agreed with Crabbe. Next to Crabbe, Goyle decided to speak up as well. "What did Flitwick say her name was again? Jessica? Geneva, or something?" He asked. Draco could no longer abide by how his friends were mispronouncing her name, even if it was unintentional .

"Jaime. Her name is Jaime, you gits". Hearing this, Goyle now turned his attention to the blond wizard. "What's this here, Malfoy? You already know her name, but not her blood status? Is Daddy having you prowling the halls in search of a wife?" Goyle was now laughing obnoxiously at his own joke, with Crabbe following right along with him. Draco sneered at the two of them, in disgust and decided to ignore them entirely. Meanwhile to the left of him, Blaise quietly watched the scene that unfolded between the three wizards, and had heard every bit of their conversation. Including Draco's concern over her blood status. Not wanting to hear his best friend complain about it further, Blaise divulged what Draco wanted to hear. "If you're that concerned about her magical blood, then you're in luck. This one's a pureblood, like us". He said.

It only took mere seconds for Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle to look at Blaise with pure shock and incredulity painted on their faces. Goyle was the first one to break the silence. "What?! You're telling me that that pretty thing over there, is a pureblood, and a Ravenclaw, together?! He practically shouted. Blaise couldn't help but flinch at how loud Goyle was. He looked over to the Ravenclaw table, only to see Jaime surveying the table full of Slytherins out of her peripheral vision, trying to find the source of the voice that so crudely, referred to her. Surprisingly enough, and to Blaise's relief, she turned her back partially to them, and resumed her conversation with Oliver. What's even more surprising was the fact that anyone had paid the disturbance any mind, and went about their meals. Having settled that, both Blaise and Draco turned and glared at Goyle with everything that they had.

"Yes, that would be the case, you obnoxious git". Hissed Blaise. Goyle wasn't nearly as intimidated, as he was shocked by this revelation, so Blaise and Draco's death glares did nothing to faze him. "Well, I'll be damned. Looks like the Weasleys aren't the only ones who're unworthy of the Slytherin name". He said. Draco once again, found himself scowling angrily at the heavy set wizard.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** **:Sorry to keep you all waiting. Things have been pretty hectic these past two weeks. But here's another glorious chapter for your reading pleasure. As yo already know, nothing involving Harry Potter belongs to me, but to J.K. Rowling.**

"Just what does that mean, Goyle?" He asked. From what he observed in the classes that they shared, she didn't do, or say anything that would indicate that she was a blood traitor. So until this statement was proven correct by some unexpected turn of events, Draco was inclined to be angry at him. While his voice was calm, it held a dangerous undertone that was audible to anyone who heard it. Of course this meant Blaise and Draco himself. Nevertheless, Goyle made his misguided point clear.

"Oh, come on. It's one thing for a bunch of blood traitors like the Weasleys to fall from grace simply for being born. But it must be especially hellish for this new girl to shipped off to another house, having scarcely been here for one day". He said. "He's got a point". Goyle said. Blaise choose to ignore him in favor of seeing what Draco's reaction would be. He watched the blonde wizard out of his peripheral vision, to see that his countenance was dark with anger at Crabbe's continued misconceptions. "You know Crabbe ,you really shouldn't say anything unless you know the whole story". He said. His voice was calm, but held a dangerous undertone. Hearing this, a shiver ran it's way up both Crabbe and Goyle's spines. But Blaise remained unfazed, and even looked a bit surprised. "What, do you know her whole story, then?" He asked. Draco glanced at him before getting up from the table, preparing to leave. "No, but I intend to". He said. With that he walked out of the Great Hall, but not before casting one more glance in Jaime's direction.

Meanwhile, at the Ravenclaw table, Jaime tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, ignoring Oliver as he took small bits of food from off of her plate. She was quick to retaliate and take his roll of bread. The day was moving quicker than either of them had anticipated. As soon as lunch was over they'd be going to three more classes, then dinner, and then off to bed. As far as the bed situation was concerned, something would hopefully be waiting for them when they returned to their dorms. Other than that, the first day of being in public school wasn't as torturous as Jaime thought it would be. But as this was only the first day, time alone would tell if things would change for her and Oliver. The fact that she'd be separated from her brother, for almost the entire day, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner being the only exceptions was enough to shatter Jaime's usual poker face, and worry her into physical sickness. While she didn't want to smother him, she had a responsibility to uphold as an older sibling, and an obligation to keep him safe, and vice versa. Anyone who got in the way of this would be made to suffer.

Jaime turned to look at Oliver, out of her peripheral vision, and watched shove another role of bread into his mouth. Small moments like these were the ones that counted the most to her, and she'd cherish them when she could. "So, how have classes been going for you so far?" She asked. Oliver downed his second glass of pumpkin juice to break up the bread and swallow it before responding. "Not bad. Herbology was mostly an introductory lecture, Divination could have gone a bit faster, had the professor not misplaced her clipboard and spent the rest of the period scouring the room from for it, and Potions was hellish considering the professor was glaring daggers at everyone. Other than that, there's nothing new to report". He said. Jaime just shook her head in understanding, relieved that his first day went off without incident. "Ah, good to hear it". She said.

To the left of him, Cho craned her head to look at the two of them. "Don't think on it too much. Professor Snape is like that with everyone. Well, everyone except the kids in Slytherin House". She said. Oliver now turned to look in her direction. "Let me guess, he's the head of that house isn't he?" He asked sarcastically. Cho was quick to respond, while Jaime watched the two of them interact. "Yeah, he even picks favorites in his classes. Also Slytherins. Especially Draco Malfoy". She said. Jaime raised an eyebrow at the sound of the name Malfoy. She was well aware of the family's long held ideology of pureblood supremacy. It was because of their family, and families like theirs, that she and Oliver were homeschooled, despite being purebloods themselves. If their parents could see them now, they'd be livid. But as they weren't physically living, they could only turn over in their graves.

"Is that all?" Asked Jaime. Cho craned her neck to look at her. "Well, actually there's more to it than that. It's been rumored that Draco's father is so fixated on the belief in pureblood supremacy, that he's even in support of Voldemort's regime. A regime that wants to see all muggleborn witches and wizards erased from the wizarding world for good". She said. Jaime kept her one eyebrow raised, without changing the rest of her countenance, while Oliver's eyes widened slightly. "Well do they have any proof that says these rumors are true?" He asked. Now Jaime's stare was directed at him. Cho shook her head solemnly before answering. "No, but if it were, Draco would most definitely be expected to follow in his father's footsteps and join the regime as a death eater". She said.

Jaime remained silent with a poker face that seemed to be set in stone, whilst Oliver's eyes were still slightly widened at this revelation. Cho spoke up again before he could speak. "If you don't believe me, he's sitting right behind you. He's got pale blond hair, and steel blue eyes". She said. Oliver turned his head 180 degrees behind him, trying his hardest to be discreet about it. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see the wizard that matched Cho's description. He was simply playing with his food, and glancing around the rest of the Great Hall and the back of Jaime's head. When this caught his eye, he narrowed them in slight anger. Oliver whipped his head back around only to see Jaime scoping her last bit of food into her mouth. "You know he's doing a damn poor job of not trying to stare at you, right?" He asked.

With her usual apathetic expression, Jaime didn't even spare a glance. "Is he?" She asked. "Yes, he is." He said. Of course, Jaime was aware of his surreptitious glances, but they meant nothing to her. If he really wanted her to look at him twice, it would take more than his handsome looks, and aptitude for magic. Even then, those things could be overridden by his personality. "Well then, I won't look at him". She said. Oliver decided not to address the issue any further. The rest of the day went on without any problems, and by the end of it, Jaime and Oliver had been given more than their fare share of surprises. Starting with the talking portraits that looked at them quizzically when they walked by, and tried to speak to them. Then there were the moving stair cases, that according to Oliver moved too slow with the intent to make him collapse into an anxiety attack, seeing as how he was deathly afraid of heights. Not to mention the ghosts that made random appearances, disrupted the class, and took their sweet time leaving the room after the teachers asked them to.

For the third time that day, the siblings found themselves in the Great Hall, surrounded by other witches and wizards, enjoying their food. The scene that unfolded at lunch was once again being unveiled, with Jaime and Oliver eating and talking to each other, and Draco daydreaming about how he would handle his current position, as well as securing a friendship with Jaime. By this time, Blaise was beginning to show concern for the one person he could genuinely consider his best friend. "Draco, if you're really so fixated on learning her blood status, why don't you just go up to her, state your purpose and ask her flat out?" He asked. Draco's steel colored eyes slowly turned to look at the wizard next to him, with a perplexed countenance.

"It's not that simple, mate. From what I've observed thus far, she couldn't care less about anyone or anything in this school, save for her younger brother. The two of them seem to be connected at the hip, and I'm not going to start trouble with a lowly fifth year to get to her attention. Assuming she even gives me the time of day". He said solemnly. Blaise was now utterly incredulous at Draco's lack of confidence. It was a disgrace to everything that the Slytherins represented. Regardless of his status as a death eater now, it was no excuse for his lack of ambition. "Be that as it may, this isn't the Draco Malfoy that I know. The Draco that I know would walk through these corridors with confidence and finesse that would make the rest of us look like filth. The Draco that I know would master spells that would make even the fifth years piss themselves. The Draco that I know wouldn't be piss scared of talking to one witch, simply because he's afraid of confrontation with her younger brother.

And even if she doesn't give you the time of day, who cares? You keep at it until she does give you the time of day. Do it romantically if you have too, but don't sit this out like a prat. If you don't take back charge now, you're going to collapse into yourself and end up being a lapdog to more than just your father, and Voldemort. Is that what you want?" He concluded. Despite his quite and mysterious nature, Blaise was a prime example of what Slytherin House represented, even if people would say otherwise. For that Draco was eternally grateful.

He didn't raise his voice, but every word he said impacted the blond wizard like a slap to the face. With Blaise's words still fresh in his mind, his spirits were slowly being lifted. All of the sights and sounds in the Great Hall faded into the background as he looked upon Jaime's face with his ambition re ignited, and his original plans coming back to him in full throttle. He'd regret his choice once his father physically came into the fold, but until that time came, Draco would satisfy no one's whims, save for his own. Before this night was over, Jaime Cressy would be his greatest achievement.


	14. Chapter 14

Let it be known that this isn't an actual chapter, but an apology for the delay in updating. I don't have an excuse as to why I haven't been punctual, so I'm not going to make one. But I promise that chapter 14 will be posted before Christmas comes around. I chose this form of advertising because I'm almost certain that you guys don't read the disclaimer, or maybe you do. Also I want to take the time to thank the people who added my story to their Favorite and have decided to follow it.  
TayTay4282, Aero1234541,and Ainobanaani. Thanks for your support, and for giving this story a chance. Favorites and follows are much appreciated, but let's take it a step up, and add reviews as well.  
That's it for now. Keep a look out for the actual chapter 14. Plus, this is not meant to be a troll. I just needed to update something, and not let this project collect dust. So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and Happy New Years.  
From, Mistress Mage


	15. Chapter 15

The corridors were once again crowded with students from various houses. All of whom were going off to their houses and off to bed. Jaime and Oliver held hands, as they were determined not to lose each other in the vast sea of bodies that surrounded them. Further up ahead of them, Draco stood off to the side, near one of the open windows, and did his best to appear uninterested in what was going on. In actuality, he was surveying the other witches and wizards in the crowd, surreptitiously seeking out Jaime as a means of making a proper introduction, using her brother as starting point. When the aforementioned siblings came into his line of sight, he pushed his way into the crowd and began to shove himself in their direction. Draco was even clever enough to wear an expression that displayed pure oblivion, as a means of seeming completely ignorant of his surroundings.

When he and Oliver came within four feet of each other, Draco pushed his body into the wizard and collided right with his chest. The both of them stumbled back in surprise while Jaime wore a countenance of pure surprise, watching her brother find his footing. She was quick to gather him in her arms, and support his body weight in the event that he was slightly disoriented. Draco was quick to collect himself, but inwardly smirked at his small victory.

"I'm sorry about that, Mate. I didn't see you there". He said. Jaime looked at Draco, with skepticism and suspicion replacing her previous look of surprise. Before she could say anything, Oliver found his voice.

"Relax. It's no problem". He said. Draco continued to feign ignorance and shook his head in understanding. "Well, excuse me then". He said. The Cressy Siblings continued on with their walk, but before they could take another step, Draco once again collided with Oliver. Only this time, Draco clutched the sleeve of his Ravenclaw robe by his shoulder, and tugged on it with everything he had. He then veered to the right, still holding Oliver's sleeve.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed. Just as the word Hell passed his lips, a sickening tearing sound was hear throughout the Corridor. Before he realized it, Oliver's robe was completely missing a sleeve, and his sister was glaring daggers at the wizard who ripped it. He on the other hand was still stunned, at the damage that was done to his clothing. When the realization finally set in, he too was red with anger.

"What the hell are you playing at, you Bastard?!" He Yelled. Draco raised his hands in front of himself in the event that this altercation turned physical. Not once did he let up on his clueless façade.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I meant nothing by it!" He exclaimed. By now, they were attracting the attention of a majority of the students in the Corridors. Most, if not all of them were enthralled with the scene that was unfolding, eager to see the new kids use their magic in a duel. Jaime's eyes were narrowed in anger, and burned with white hot hatred, at Draco's act. For all of his cunning, Jaime saw right throw his performance and fully intended to make him admit it.

"Apparently, you did. Otherwise you wouldn't have grabbed his sleeve so roughly . So what's with the exaggerating? Do you have a problem with us?"She asked. The menacing tone that was in her voice was impossible to miss, and sent some of the first year students cowering behind the older ones. Draco was determined not to back down, despite the intimidating aura that Jaime was emitting.

"Look, I don't have a problem with anyone. I just said I'm sorry". He said. From where he was standing, Blaise could see everything that was occurring and let the smallest of smiles grace his lips, as he watched his best friend stand face to face with the object of his curiosity. Oliver, once again intervened in their conversation.

"Sorry isn't going to fix my clothes. Money may grow on trees in your family, but it's a little harder to come by for us. I mean, did you even check the price on those shoes?"He said. Hearing this, Draco's countenance slightly flattered in actual confusion, as he choose to ignore Oliver's last statement. Now that it was established that they weren't of the same financial status as his family, Draco was now even more curious to uncover their back story, assuming they weren't blood traitors like the Weasleys.

"What does my family have to do with this?"He asked. He intended to expose their origins, even if it meant displaying ignorance of his family's money. Both brother and sister were now staring at him in pure incredulity.

"Don't give me that. You think just because we're new students that we're ignorant to how things are run in the Wizarding World? Everyone and their mother knows that the Malfoys hold this country in the palm of their hands, next to the Minister himself". Said Jaime. Draco was surprised that she acknowledged how opulent his family was, despite the fact that she said it with a tone that was less than appropriate. He decided to dismiss it, and keep up his act.

"Be that as it may, it was an accident. Even Malfoys are allowed to make mistakes once in a while". He said. His pretend ignorance and sincerity had Oliver standing aghast and made Jaime's blood boil. The students who stood around them looked at Draco, with shock and confusion being their only readable expressions. The Slytherin students were especially shell shocked at his declaration of Malfoys being anything less than perfect. Jaime stalked toward him, and quick as lighting, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt that showed from beneath his robe, with pure anger burning behind in her eyes. They stood within such a close proximity that their noses were almost touching. Another inch closer, and it would have been their lips.

"And now, you're going to correct your mistake and fix my brother's clothes, or there'll be hell to pay". She said fiercely. While one of her hands was clutching his shirt collar, the other one was removing her wand from the pocket of her robes. Draco's body was tense with worry, but not once did he take his eyes off of her. Even standing this close, on the verge of being physically assaulted, he could feel her magic radiating off of her in waves. And for whatever reason, he liked it. He wasn't afraid to admit that she was pretty, even when she was upset. Even Ginny Weasley, for all her ferocity and fiery attitude couldn't hold a candle to this girl whose presence alone demanded attention, and it was always given.

Despite the fact that she didn't want it, it didn't change the nature of things. People would marvel at her regardless. And Draco was one of them. This wasn't how he wanted their encounter to play out, but he decided to comply, if it would get him in her good graces. He once again, held up his hands in a defeated gesture, with the tattered remains of Oliver's sleeve in his hand.

"Alright then. Let me go, and I will". He said. Jaime didn't take her eyes of off him for a second, but she slowly removed her hand from his shirt. Oliver approached the blonde wizard with hesitant steps, but as his sister stood with her wand unveiled and her eyes trained on Draco, he felt a whole lot safer. Draco unveiled his own wand and aimed it at Oliver's sleeveless arm.

"Cloth Repairo". He said. In the blink of an eye, a fresh new sleeve was added to Oliver's robe, completely identical to the original. Said wizard stared at his arm in relief, thankful for the rapid repairs that was made to his clothing. He looked over at his sister to see that her anger had almost completely disappeared. She still appeared to be suspicious, but at least she wasn't angry. Draco looked over at her, with confidence written all over his face.

"See? Problem solved" He said. But Jaime didn't let up on her suspicious countenance. She moved past him, and went straight for Oliver, taking his arm in her hands, and inspecting the sleeve herself.

"How does it feel? Does it hurt? Is it uncomfortable, in anyway?" She asked. Her voice was nothing short of concerned, and her anger was now completely gone. In Draco's eyes, it was amazing how quick she was to change emotions in the presence of her younger brother.

"No, it's fine". He responded quietly. By now, the tension had defused, and some students began making their way toward their house dormitories. Some students were glad that their was no physical altercation, and sighed in relief. Others groaned in disappointment at the lack of fighting. Jaime glared back at Draco one more time, before taking hold of Oliver's hand, and once more started back toward the Ravenclaw common room. The two of them only took a few minor steps before they heard Draco call out to them.

"Hey, you two. Your names are Jaime and Oliver, right? If it's any consolation, I really am sorry, and I meant what I said before. Malfoys really do make mistakes at times. Especially in situations that we can't handle". He said. Jaime took one look at him and scoffed in annoyance. Oliver simply rolled his eyes, and followed his sister as she started walking again. Draco watched them leave, and sighed heavily, feeling the fatigue of the day weighing on his body and mind. And the skirmish that just occurred did nothing to help matters. Except bring him in intimate contact with the object of his interest. As unfortunate as things looked now, he had the entire year to make amends and change Jaime's opinion of him. Of course this also meant prioritizing his time between that, and whatever assignments he was given from Voldemort. He could only hope that he wouldn't make the mistake of mixing his business with his pleasure. And so far ,Jaime was turning out to be one hell of a pleasure. He let Oliver's ruined sleeve fall to the floor, before making his way to the Slytherin dorms.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I'm not going to make an excuse as to why this took so long to upload, so I'm not going to make one. All I can say is that I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting, and don't give up on this story just yet. As you already know, I don't own anything relating to the Harry Potter series.**

As Jaime had predicted, there were two new beds waiting for them when they got back to their dormitory. One in the girl's room and one in the boy's room. For the time being, the both of them were sitting in front of the fireplace, on one of the many couches in the common room. Jaime's body was sprawled across the length of the couch, while Oliver was content to sit on the floor, with his knees raised to his chest. Jaime was reading a book on Medieval alchemy, while Oliver was gazing into the fire with a sullen expression upon his countenance. In the back of his mind, he tried not to let the sight of the fire upset him, as it was the instrument of his parent's deaths.

Maybe that's why his sister was distracting herself with a book. Contrary to what he thought, she was still contemplating her encounter with Draco, not even reading the words on the page. She was replaying the scene in her mind, over and over, hearing Draco's words.

" **Malfoys really do make mistakes at times. Especially in situations that we can't handle". "What does my family have to do with this?"** Based on what Cho had told them at lunch, it seemed like Draco was trying to put on a brave face to mask the dread that he felt over being a Death Eater. Anyone with a vast knowledge of wizarding history would see that. And the fact that his father was a dictator over his son's life, couldn't have been good. Why he decided to approach them could only be for the fact that she and Oliver were pureblooded. That was the only logical reason behind it.

Various other students sauntered around the common room, and migrated back and forth between the couches and the bedrooms. Yet neither of them were interested in making conversation with the Cressy Siblings. The expressions that they wore spoke for them well enough. At that moment, Cho came downstairs from the girls room, wearing turquoise colored pajamas in place of her lounge wear. She saw the two of them sitting sullenly, and decided to see if she could pull them out of the gloomy state they seemed to be in. Oliver especially. If they were going to be housemates, they might as well try to get along. She sat on the arm of the couch that wasn't taken over by Jaime's lithe body, with a warm smile on her face.

"I hope you guys enjoyed your first day. It seemed like an interesting day for everyone". She said. Neither of them said anything, and Cho was left shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. But she kept the conversation going.

"I saw what happened with you two, and Draco in the corridor. Then again, almost everyone saw it. Really, it's unbecoming of him to apologize for something that he intended to happen. He even went so far as to fix your clothes. Definitely not something that he does regularly, unless it's for his own benefit". She said. At this, Jaime couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in mild interest, never taking her eyes off of the book. The only benefit that would come of his good guy act was the chance to get in her good graces. This much she surmised. But again, this was none of Cho's business.

"Whatever benefit he's looking for, he won't be getting it from us." She said. Cho was now looking at her with a countenance of concern.

"Not to be a naysayer, but I wouldn't be too sure about that. I saw the way Draco was looking at you when you had him by the collar. He looked like he was suffocating, trying not to let a blush form on his face. Either he doesn't do well being dangled from his shirt collar, or he may have been catching feelings for you, Jaime". She said awkwardly. She now had Jaime's full attention as she lowered the book down to her lap, and looked at Cho intently. Even Oliver was glancing at Cho from out of his peripheral vision.

"What was that? He barely knows me, apart from my name. What reason does he have to be attracted to me?" She said. Cho couldn't help but stare at Jaime in pure confusion. Was she really that unaware of how physically attractive she was? Never mind her aptitude for magic, but her looks alone would make any wizard look do a double take and stare in admiration. This coupled with her mysterious disposition, would attract any wizard with good sense, an eye for powerful magic, and a pretty face. Such as Draco. But instead of saying that, Cho went with the first thing that she could think of.

"Well, your magic alone is strong enough to rival his. Probably even stronger." She said. Jaime wasn't the least bit moved by this, and raised her book back up to her face. Oliver only released a heavy sigh, and turned his attention back to the fire in front of him. Cho let out a sigh of her own, and began to make her way toward the girls room. Just as she was about to climb the steps, she turned back to the Cressy Siblings.

"Goodnight. See you in the morning". She said. The sincerity that came with her words made it impossible for Jaime not to respond.

"Yeah. Goodnight." She responded. With that, the two of them settled back into the comfortable silence that surrounded them prior to Cho's arrival. Jaime could once again process the information that was given, especially the part about Draco's catching feelings for her. Being 16, Jaime was well aware of the emotional changes that would normally occur for girls her age. Especially where boys were concerned. But her late mother taught her well enough to not fall for the first boy who gives you a compliment. Not only this, but for the simple fact that the only boy she'd ever associate with, on a regular was her Oliver. And that was good enough for her. Said brother was standing up and stretching his muscles until they gave a satisfying crack. He looked at Jaime with fatigue evident in his eyes.

"I'm going to turn in early tonight." He said. Jaime looked over at an antique grandfather clock that stood in the far left corner of the room, near the fireplace, seeing that it read 6:15. He'd already finished his homework an hour earlier, as he'd been complaining about the lack of recreational activities in the common room. Jaime had followed his example, which lead to the two of them being in their current positions. Jaime looked at back at her brother quizzically.

"Are you sure about that? If you sleep now, you'll probably be up later on tonight." She said. Oliver waved it off and gave a small shrug of his shoulders, not wanting his sister to be a worry wart over him.

"No, I'll be fine. It's like Cho said, it's been a pretty eventful day. And I need to be well rested if I want to be prepared for the next one". He said. Of course, she Jaime had to agree with him on that point, and simply gave a small nod of her head.

"Alright, then. Goodnight. I love you." She said. Oliver emulated her head nod and made for the boys room.

"I love you too. See you in the morning." He said. With that he disappeared up the stairs. As Oliver vanished from her line of sight, Jaime now took on a more relaxed position, and let the book fall from her fingers into her lap. Suddenly she felt more relaxed, as if a weight was lifted off of her shoulders before she could accept defeat. For all of her cynicism, Jaime knew when to accept defeat if confronted with a battle that was bigger than her. But as things currently stand, this new chapter in her life was little more than a cake walk, or so she hoped.

It was all a matter of biding her time, keeping herself and Oliver on track with their grades, and keeping a watchful eye on him once she graduated, as she was a year ahead of him. When everything is said and done, this would all be the impending battle that her uncle had cautioned her about. She would treat the world as her enemy, if it meant that she could get away from the conformity of the world. Wizarding, and muggle. She breathed a sigh, and got up to put the book back where she'd found it. In doing this, she was briefly reminded of the times when she was a small child, trying to reach for one of the various books that sat atop the tall shelves in her house. Her father was always their to reach it for her, and regard her with the warmest smile. And Jaime was always eager to return it.

The wave of nostalgia washed over her quickly, but left her body feeling cold. Her countenance was sullen and showed pure grief, where she thought it was impossible to feel anymore. Only one though clouded her mind: **Why do I suddenly have to think of you now?** Whether or not this question would ever have an answer wasn't something she wanted to contemplate. Instead, Jaime turned on her heels, and made her way upstairs to the girls dorms.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer** **: I can't apologize enough for taking this long to upload. I'm not going to make an excuse as to why it took almost two months to update chapters, so I'm not going to make one. In other news, this chapter was co written with me by Hollyhobbit101. Be sure to check out her stories as well. As you already know, the Harry Potter franchise does not belong to me, or my co author, but to it's original creator, J.K. Rowling.**

The next morning Jaime awoke in relatively high spirits. That is, until the memories of the previous day came crashing back down on her. She felt her face begin to burn with a mixture of rage and something else that she couldn't quite define. A moment was spent pondering the situation before she noticed that the dormitory was almost deserted. Drat. She must have overslept after her busy day yesterday. She rose and got dressed with alacrity, making sure she looked neat before dashing down to the Great Hall.

The wonderful scent of a Hogwarts breakfast greeted her as she entered. She wasn't too late; she had managed to join up with a group of stragglers on her way down. Spotting Oliver, she hurried to the Ravenclaw table and slid into a seat beside him.

"You slept well," he grinned at her.

"I was tired, that was all," Jaime replied, helping herself to some toast and buttering them evenly.

"I wasn't suggesting anything else," Oliver said with mock horror. He smiled at her, but that smile soon vanished as he spotted something across the Hall. "That Malfoy boy is staring at you again."

"Is he?" Jaime feigned disinterest as she concentrated on what she was eating.

"Yeah. I don't like him, Jaime. He's a stuck up prat who thinks he's better than everyone else and I don't like the way he's looking at you. It's like he's the predator and you're his prey."

"I'm sure you're reading too much into the situation, Oliver." She dismissed her brother's concerns with a wave of her hand, but nevertheless stole a glance over to the Slytherin table. Oliver had been right; Draco was staring at her with apparent fascination. When he noticed that she had returned his gaze, he turned beet red and ducked his head, breaking eye contact between them. Jaime turned away, but not before noticing him steal another glace at her from below his eyelids. To her left, Oliver was still prattling on about it.

"-he's just got that look about him, you know? That look that suggests he's the best at everything, except he's not and-"

"Just drop it, Oliver," she sighed.

"But-"

"I said, drop it," she glared at him fiercely, making sure the message got through.

Oliver looked at her with a startled expression. She rarely spoke to him in that tone, so he knew that she meant it. Jaime took in the hurt on her brother's face and relented.

"I'm sorry, Oliver. Just… Let me handle this one, okay?"

"Okay," Oliver replied with some reluctance. He was obviously deeply unhappy about the whole thing, and his face was marked with worry. He knew, however, that once Jaime had got something into her head, it wasn't going to go away quickly. So he watched despondently as she got up and exited the Great Hall, with barely a backward glance.

Once outside the Hall, Jaime took up a position against one of the pillars and leaned casually against it. It looked for all the world like she was waiting for a friend, if only she had any besides her brother. That, however, was not the reason for lingering. She considered that an illogical course of action, as she could simply have just waited in the Hall if it were the case. No, her target was the complete opposite.

She only had to wait for about five minutes before Draco Malfoy came strutting out the Hall, flanked, as usual, by his two cronies Crabbe and Goyle. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and slammed him against the pillar she had just been leaning up against.

"What are you trying to do, eh? What do you want from me and my brother?" She yelled into his face. She took some satisfaction from the mixed expression of pain and confusion on his face, but only a little.

"I don't… What do you mean?" He stammered.

"I mean exactly that. What. Do. You. Want?"

"Nothing, I want nothing, why do you think I do?

"Oh, please. When you tore my brother's robes yesterday only to fix them again? When you said that 'even Malfoys make mistakes'? Staring at me this morning? Everyone knows that the Malfoys aren't exactly known for their humility or interest in anyone other than themselves. What are you playing at, _Draco_?"

"If you'll kindly release me…"

She scowled, but relinquished her grip on his robes. He stepped away from the pillar, brushing himself down.

"I don't want anything from you or your brother. I- I just think that my father's opinions are sometimes wrong. A- And I just wanted to welcome you to Hogwarts."

Jaime looked the boy up and down. He was definitely hiding something, there was no doubt about that, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know what anyway. She cast him one last dubious glace before stalking off down the corridor.

When she felt that she was a safe distance away, Jaime slumped down against the wall and breathed hard. She took her timetable out of her pocket and looked to see what class she had next. When she saw what it was, she had to suppress a groan. Potions. With the Slytherins. To her enormous surprise, Potions class flew by with little to no word from Draco. Perhaps he was worried about being on the receiving end of her anger again. Or maybe it was the fact that he was spending the entire period writing something on parchment, only appearing to be working in the presence of Professor Snape. To the left of Draco, another wizard of an African American ethnicity that she didn't know to be Blaise, was looking over his writing, with an amused look on his face. Jaime didn't want to think about it, but in the back of her mind, she had a feeling that parchment was for her. Nevertheless, she took a deep breathe and turned her attention back to the cauldron in front of her.

She was meant to be working with a partner, but because there was an odd number of Ravenclaws and Slytherins in the room, she was left to work alone, with her potions book ,ingredients, cauldron, and no sympathy from Professor Snape. Using her prior knowledge of potions, quick efficiency, and steady hands, she was the first in the class to be finished with the given assignment. Said assignment was to brew a vial of Formido Vade, or Fear Begone. A potion that once taken will, temporarily help you overcome your greatest fears and worries, unlike Felix Felicis which is meant to provide temporary luck to whoever takes it, helping them overcome their greatest endeavor. If she could, she'd sneak in a vial for Oliver to take.

Jaime approached the desk and deposited her vial in an empty rack that served to hold vial such as hers. Professor Snape noticed this, came over to where Jaime was standing, and picked up the vial to examine it for himself. He glanced over at Jaime with skepticism painting his countenance. In all the years that he'd been teaching at Hogwarts, the only student who ever actually completed an assignment before the rest of the class was the Gryfindor princess, Hermoine Granger. However, he'd long since stopped caring about her stream of academic success, as had many other teachers at Hogwarts.

Now here was this new student whom he'd heard Flitwick talking about adamantly at the head table, calling her "wise beyond her years" and "should be allowed to move up a year", and other dribble that Snape couldn't care less about. Yet if she was as talented as the teachers say she is, it was at least refreshing to know that she was a new face. But first, Snape had to check her work.

"Am I to assume that you're finished with the given assignment Ms. Cressy?" He asked. Her countenance was one of pure assurance, displaying not a hint of doubt.

"Yes, that would be the case, Professor." Said Jaime. She could care less what Snape thought of her work. He was just one more irrelevant factor in her life. He raised one of his eyebrows, still skeptical, and turned to walk away, vial in hand.

"I'll be the judge of that." He said. He walked over to the corner of the potions room, and toward a cage that Jaime hadn't noticed before. Contained within it was a white guinea pig that had patches of brown coloring in it's fur ,and was about the size of a person's fist. The creature looked at Snape with pure fear in it's beady eyes and scurried into the corner of it's cage, attempting to put as much distance as possible between himself and the potions master. Instead of going to open the door of the cage, Snape turned his attention to the water tank that was attached to it, and proceeded to pour Jaime's vial of Formido Vade into it. By now, the rest of the class was watching what was going on between the new girl and Snape. Even Draco, preoccupied as he was in his writing, stopped and watched with wrapped interest.

The guinea pig noticed what had been done, and scurried over to it's water supply. Without a moment of hesitation, the creature began to drink to it's heart content, blinking it's eyes lustfully. It wasn't long before, the guinea pig relinquished its hold of the nozzle. For a while it looked as if it was unaffected by the potion entirely, that is until Snape went to open the cage again. Once he managed to get it open to where he could stick his hand in, the creature made no attempt to scurry away from him. Just the opposite happened, and the guinea pig crawled right into his palm and even attempted to crawl across his forearm, had Snape not grasped it firmly with his other hand.

From behind her, Jaime heard the other students begin to whisper to each other about her, and the possibility that she may have cheated on the assignment. Mainly from the more than envious Slytherins. She was half expecting to hear Draco's voice among the quite commotion. Chances were, he was staring at her in fascination, as he'd been doing during breakfast. Whether or not this was the case, she didn't turned around to look and see.

Although his face didn't show it, Snape was thoroughly surprised that someone managed to follow his instructions to the letter and get it the assignment right the first time. Of course there was Hermione Granger, but her glory days as star student came and went. He turned to look at Jaime with an apathetic, but dutiful expression on his countenance.

"Well done, Ms. Cressy. Find some other work to do until class is over, and do be quiet about it." Said Snape. Jaime turned and walked back to her desk, ignoring the envious looks the other students sent her way. But when her eyes landed on Draco, her suspicions were confirmed and his eyes met hers with pure enchantment, and something else that she couldn't discern. No doubt, he's been lying about not being interested in her. As quickly as he'd started staring, he stopped altogether, and dropped his eyes back down to his own work. Nevertheless, she rolled her eyes at him, silently indicating that she wasn't interested in whatever he was trying to instigate by having a one sided staring contest. With that, she reached into her bag and unveiled a copy of her latest book.

The rest of the day passed by without another word from the blonde wizard, but that didn't stop him from staring at Jaime when he though the teachers weren't looking. Right now, they were in Divination, with dinner being their next period, and then it was off to bed. Just like in the other classes before this one, Jaime had caught sight of Draco's moony eyed stare. She half a mind to write him a note, describing what an insolent prat he was, and if he liked having his eyeballs in his sockets, that he should stop his staring contest. But after what happened in the corridor, he'd either expect her to do something like that, or just pin him against a wall again, expecting her to play whatever game he had in store. So in her case, the best option would be to treat him as another irrelevant factor in her life. Here one minute, and gone the next, that's all he is to her. Of course that's easier said than done, considering that she'll be at Hogwarts until she graduates in her seventh year. Nevertheless, she shook her head and listened as Professor Trelawney continued her lecture.

Jaime had to fight hard to resist the urge to lay her head down on the desk. As boring as the class was, she didn't want to fall asleep and run the risk of someone messing with her, or her belongings. While she doesn't have much experience being around other kids in large groups, she knew how notoriously cruel they could be. Try as she might thought, she couldn't stay awake, and as her eyelids grew heavy, and her head began to lean off to the side, a bit of parchment that was folded in the shape of a bird found it's way onto her desk. She perked up a little bit, yet it did nothing to stop her drowsiness. Professor Trelawney had yet to see it on her desk, leaving Jaime free to further examine it. Judging by the intricate folding, the attention to detail, not to mention the elegant shade of off white parchment, this was done by someone of wealth and the upper class. This what Jaime was dreading would happen; the sheet of parchment that Draco was writing on, was for her.

She shook her head in dismay and exhaled a breath, still staring at the bird shaped piece of paper in front of her. If she didn't open it, she'd probably find a dozen more of them later on, and end up arguing with Oliver over it. On the other hand, if she did, there was know telling how much ass kissing and lying Draco had outlined in a few sentences, maybe even paragraphs. In her mind, she outlined as many pros and cons as possible. Finally, with reluctant fingers, she gingerly opened the bird up to where she could make out a few words written in beautiful italic.

…" _Please forgive me, I wish I could gather the courage to confront you directly, but…"_ That was all she could see from where she unfolded the top of the bird's head. She raised her eyebrow in curiosity, and unfolded the rest of the parchment as quietly as possible. When she did, it read thusly…


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: This chapter was co written with me by hollyhobbit101. Be sure to check out her stuff on this website as well. As you already know, Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, or my co author, but to J.K. Rowling.**

 **In the previous chapter** **:** …" _Please forgive me, I wish I could gather the courage to confront you directly, but…"_ That was all she could see from where she unfolded the top of the bird's head. She raised her eyebrow in curiosity, and unfolded the rest of the parchment as quietly as possible. When she did, it read thusly:

 **Now** **:** _Ms. Cressy,_

 _I'm writing this letter to further ask your forgiveness for my incompetence in the corridor earlier today. Please understand, I wish I could gather the courage to confront you directly but, as I'm sure you've surmised, I didn't want to make the same mistake twice and be on the receiving end of your anger. Nevertheless, I was much impressed by your display of magical skill in Professor Snape's class. It's not everyday that pure magical blood is used to it's highest potential. And that's what I see when I look at you, Ms. Cressy. For this reason, I have enclosed within this letter a small, but potent batch of edible coffee beans, guaranteed to replenish your energy. Enough to get you through this class, dinner, and homework assignments, but not enough to keep you awake all night. You're welcome._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Draco Lucius Malfoy._

By the time, she was done reading, the edges of the paper were almost completely crumbled, due to how tightly Jaime was griping it. Even if he wasn't lying, she could do without his ass kissing, and patronizing. However, he managed to entice her curiosity about the alleged coffee he enclosed. As she observed the letter more closely, she noticed that at the bottom half, where Draco signed his named, there was a crease that would be almost impossible to see, if not inspected closely enough. As her fingers ghosted over it, the crease began to expand and elongate until it was able to be pulled back, and it's contents examined. Professor Trelawney's voice faded into background noise, as Jaime proceeded to open the hidden compartment of the letter. She was astounded at what she found, trying her best to externally conceal her surprise. True to his word, Draco had enclosed an entire pound of dark, roasted coffee beans for her to consume.

She looked around the room to see if anyone other than Draco was watching her. Luckily, no one was. And so with quite movements, Jaime gingerly picked up one of the medium sized coffee beans and placed it right on the tip of her tongue ,letting her taste buds assess it's flavor and richness. Although, she pondered the fact that it tasted surprisingly similar to dark chocolate; the right combination of bitterness and sweetness, that tantalized her taste buds. Nevertheless, it upheld the signature taste of dark roasted coffee. Almost instantaneously, she felt rejuvenated, as though a weigh of drowsiness and fatigue had suddenly been lifted off of her shoulders and replaced with new found energy.

This desired effect continued as Jaime plucked two more coffee beans into her mouth. Across from her, Draco was watching her movements with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. However, as quickly as she began consuming them, Jaime removed the last of the beans and placed them in a separate pouch in her bag. She then folded the paper back into it's original shape, and also placed it in her bag. When she looked back up,. She somehow managed to lock eyes with Draco. The look that he was giving her was nothing short of expectant, wanting her to be captivated by what he thought was a token of his affections, further complimented by the letter outlining her magical prowess. But Jaime wasn't going to fall head first so easily. Especially for Draco Malfoy, of all people.

Whatever game he was trying to implement between the two of them wouldn't have her participation. So she rolled her eyes at him, shook her head, and turned her attention back to professor Trelawney, with a countenance that showed pure apathy. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Draco's face fall in disappointment at her silent rejection. Something she could care less for. When the rest of the class flew by, Jaime gathered her things and managed to be the third person out of the room, not even sparing him a sideways glance. Now it was on to dinner.

Jaime half-heartedly pushed her food around her plate. Draco's note – now carefully refolded and stored in her pocket – had given her much to think about, and she was having a hard time doing anything else. What on earth had he meant? She had heard about his arrogance and selfishness towards anyone who wasn't a pure-blood Slytherin yet he was being _kind_ to her and Oliver. He was a puzzle that she couldn't solve, and Jaime did not like it one bit.

Oliver noticed her distracted manner and tried to cheer her up. Jaime listened to him talk about his day and how he had mastered a spell in Charms quicker than anyone else in the class and how he'd made a new friend, but she still couldn't concentrate. She decided that she was probably just tired, and told Oliver that she was going back to the dorm to get some rest.

"Okay. Night Jaime."

"Night Ol."

She had tossed and turned for hours and yet sleep still evaded her. Even after all the other girls were fast asleep she lay there, quietly thinking on the day's events. Eventually, Jaime slid from her bed and made her way to the common room, grabbing the bird on her way. She settled herself in one of the chairs and read the note over and over. She still couldn't make any sense of it and it was giving her a headache.

Soft footsteps interrupted Jaime from her thoughts and she turned round to see Oliver coming down from the boys' dormitory.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I didn't realise you were down here too. I can go if you want…"

"No, it's fine. I don't mind."

Thanks, Jaime," he replied, approaching the chair opposite her. He spotted the bird in her hand. "What's that?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just something Cho gave me."

"Can I see it?"

"No," she responded sharply. She saw the expression of hurt on Oliver's face and winced. "No. It's special, I'd rather you didn't."

"Oh, go on, Jaime, please," he made a grab for the bird and managed to snatch it playfully out of her hand. He turned it over in his hand and accidentally unfolded part of it, revealing the writing below. As Jaime looked on despairingly, Oliver unfolded the rest of it and scanned the page.

"From Cho, you say?"

"Oli, please, it's private."

"Who gave this to you? Was it that Malfoy boy? I knew it! I knew he was a bad lot, I told you so!" Oliver was getting redder and redder with rage and he looked about ready to explode.

"And I told you that I could handle it myself!" Jaime shouted back at him. "It's not my fault that he insists upon giving me all this attention! Believe me, all I want is for him to stop but he won't and that's not your problem."

"It is though. Jaime, please, just let me help."

"No, Oliver. I don't want you getting involved with this. You're my brother and I have to protect you. Sometimes, that means that I have to leave you out of things, but if that's the way it is then that's the way it is."

"But-"

"Stay out of it."

Another pair of footsteps sounded on the stairs and the two siblings turned just as Cho walked in. Her face was tight with worry and concern as she glanced from one to the other.

"Is everything alright?" She asked softly.

"Everything's fine, Cho," Jaime replied, her voice carefully controlled and even.

"I thought I heard shouting. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"We're fine. Now, I'm going back to bed." Jaime stalked out of the room, followed by a bewildered Cho. Oliver stood in the centre of the common room for a few minutes more before leaving for his bed, dumbstruck by Jaime's words.

In the Slytherin common room, Draco absentmindedly turned his wand in his hand, his mind full of the dark-haired girl from Ravenclaw who had captivated his heart. She had read the note, he had seen her do it. Now he had to plan what to do next. She was still clearly averse to his affections so he had to find a way to get into her good graces before it was too late. He turned to Blaise, who was tricking an innocent first-year into thinking one of the ghosts had found its way into the dorm.

"I can't stop thinking about her, Blaise. I don't know why, but I can't concentrate on anything but her."

"What are you going to do about it then?" Blaise continued to make the windows clatter behind the first-year, clearly disinterested in what Draco was saying.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you."

"Well, I don't know, do I?"

"Put yourself in my shoes, for a minute. A beautiful girl had captured you heart and soul. She is all you can think about. Even your dreams are about her. She doesn't return your feelings because she only thinks the worst of you. What do you do to get her to see you for who you really are?"

"I would probably give her something. Flowers, or chocolate, or jewelry. That's what girls like, right?"

"Not this one. I won't win her over with a simple box of chocolates or ornate piece of jewelry. I need to prove to her that what I feel is genuine."

"Well, what does she like then?"

"I don't know. Maybe I could take her to Quidditch practice one of the days. Teach her how to fly."

Blaise snorted. "Have you seen her during flying lessons? She already knows everything there is to know about riding a broom. She might even be better than Potter."

"What can I do then Blaise? She brushes off my affections like dust on parchment. Even her name is beautiful – Jaime."

Draco leant back in his chair and sighed. He was deep in his plotting to win over the heart of Jaime Cressey when a runt of a second-year came running up to him.

"Draco, Draco, you've got a letter! Apparently it's urgent!"

"Stop twittering then, and give me the damn thing," he shouted at the boy.

"Yes, Draco, here you go Draco!" The boy handed over the letter and ran off back to his friends.

Draco recognized his father's handwriting on the envelope. He slit it open and quickly scanned it. He was to be prepared for an upcoming meeting of Death Eaters in two weeks' time. It was imperative that he attend. Great. As if he needed anything else on his plate to deal with right now. Draco tossed the letter to one side and closed his eyes. He would worry about his father's orders later. He had some planning to do.

The next day progressed almost the same as the one before it, with homework again being assigned for the Cressy Siblings to complete, and meal times being shared in almost quite tranquility. Throughout the day, there were no further encounters from Draco, much to Oliver's relief, but Jaime still kept her guard up, given the fact that she and him shared more than a few classes together. Each assignment that Jaime and Oliver received was nothing that they couldn't complete in the library after at least two hours, if they help each other. Which lead to the two of them being in the library, with Jaime sitting at one of the long tables with a textbook sitting front of her, open to a page about the Renaissance in Italy.

Oliver went to go look for a book on the medicinal properties of ginger root for his own assignment, leaving his sister by herself for the time being. In front of Jaime was a table lamp that gave off just the right amount of light for her to work with. Next to the textbook were two rolls of parchment with a heading and two paragraphs already written, explaining the history of magic, during specific turning points in time. In her left hand Jaime held a quill that had fresh ink on the tip. Thick enough to formulate another sentence, but not enough to drip onto the page, and create a mess.

Her attention was almost entirely centered on the text she was reading, while occasionally lifting her eyes to see if Oliver had returned with his book yet. The library was almost silent, with the exception of the voices and movements of other students and the occasional ghosts that moved about the bookshelves. Yet from somewhere to the left of her, Jaime could make out the faint sound of footsteps that were coming in her general direction. Assuming it was Oliver, she turned to look out of her peripheral vision. The boy who was about to pass by her table wasn't her brother, but Blaise. She paid no mind to him, and turned her attention back to her work, starting a new paragraph.

Blaise's eyes quickly scanned her appearance before he continued his walk, trying to appear uninterested in her. Her robe and vest were gone, leaving her in only her shirt and tie, which hung loosely on her neck, giving her a more relaxed look. Her posture was almost ramrod straight, if not for the fact that she was slightly leaning on her right arm, with her quill in her left hand, scribbling words onto the parchment. Her countenance was nothing short of focused, if not bored, as thought she'd completed this assignment a dozen times before. Her chocolate brown irises were reflected perfectly in the low light of the table lamp in front of her, as she absorbed the words on the page. Her hair had a slight shimmer to it, as it was tucked behind her ears, and trailed down her back in a waterfall of darkness.

Blaise could see why Draco was so fascinated by her. The way she carried herself was nothing short of graceful, but he hadn't though on it any further. When Draco saw something that he wanted, Blaise made it a point to stay out of his way. But for this particular task, he'd enlisted Blaise's help, which was more than understandable, given the fact that this witch was more of a challenge than the ones that Draco pursued before her, especially after the incident in the corridor. After this, Draco was forced to rethink his strategy if he wanted to get in Jaime's good graces, which is what he told Blaise when the two of them were in the Slytherin dorms the night before.

And for that reason, he was asked to help execute this part of Draco's plan. As he neared closer to Jaime's table, he reached into the pocket of his pants. As nonchalantly as he could, he produced a small folded, square sheet of parchment, and placed it near her textbook. Without waiting to see her reaction, Blaise walked right by her and rounded a corner into another isle of books, disappearing from sight. Jaime was well aware of the folded parchment that occupied the right hand corner of her textbook, but didn't give it a serious look until another minute went by, and her third paragraph was completed. She set the quill down and turned to look at it. This time it wasn't ornately folded, as the previous one had been, but simply in half. It looked as though Draco was downgrading his tactics.

At first glance, it didn't appear to be anything threatening, but Jaime was smart enough to use caution and not take items from strangers too lightly. Or anything for that matter, especially if it comes from Draco. With cautious movements, she picked up the parchment by one of it's corners, and turned it over to her other hand. In doing so, she unveiled the slip by which she could unfold the rest of the paper. It was only in her palm for three seconds before it began to levitate in the air and unfold itself. This did nothing to faze Jaime, as she began to make out the words that unveiled themselves. Before long, the entire role of parchment was unfolded to reveal the contents of a letter written in familiar italic penmanship.

 _ **Ms. Cressy,**_

 _ **By the time you read this, I will have confronted your brother, Oliver in this very library, further asking for his forgiveness about yesterday's incident. Of course, this could only be done with the help of my good friend, Blaise Zabini, a fellow Slytherin, who delivered you this letter. Please, do not take your impending anger out on him. This was my idea, and mine alone. As was the incident in the corridor yesterday. You see, my intention was to better make yours and Oliver's acquaintance, as the both of you are new to Hogwarts, despite your previous beliefs. However, I knew that I couldn't just approach you and your brother out of the blue, and expect you to instantly accept my request for friendship. So, my next best option was to create a situation that would put the three of us all together. Whatsmore, I needed a catalyst with which to stage my attempt.**_

 _ **I speak of course of Oliver, and what took place in the Great Hall. While I was fully expecting to scolded and yelled at for my incompetence, I was completely taken by surprise at the intensity of your rage, especially coupled with your magic. Then there was that second display of your brute strength in the corridor, when you backed me up against the pillar, questioning my intentions. Believe me, I'm not angry, I just needed a bit of time to properly work out another way to talk to you without the threat of hostility. That's what this letter is for. As far the pick me up that I gave you in Divination, that was merely a gesture of my future hopes for friendship.**_

 _ **I'm not ashamed to admit that I found myself quite smitten with you in those moments of your fury. I completely understand if you have no desire to trust me, or even speak to me after reading this letter, and looking for Oliver. But know that I have no desire to give up on you, and I fully intend to make yours and your brother's time here at Hogwarts a most enjoyable one, despite what you may think.**_

 _ **Yours Truly,**_

 _ **Draco Lucius Malfoy**_

When Jaime finally finished reading the letter, she grabbed it out of the air, and merely set it down onto the table. She then gathered her books, prepared to go look for Oliver, assuming he was still in the library at all. The only part of the letter that she'd taken seriously was the part about Draco's being with Oliver. While her brother was a good kid for the most part, he could be temperamental if rubbed the wrong way. In this way, the two of them were almost equals. Yet, to say that Jaime wasn't expecting to hear something from Draco by now, would have been a lie. What she didn't expect was for him to respond so quickly, and for him to do it in the form of another letter, this time, hand delivered by someone. It could very well have been just another excuse for him to display his pureblood superiority.

However, Jaime wasn't in a position to simply ignore the letter, if Oliver's name was mentioned. So she gathered up the last of her books, slung her backpack, robe, and vest over her shoulder, picked up her wand, and moved in the direction that she saw Blaise go in. If he was helping Draco, then he was the most likely person to go to, and he may give her some clue as to how to navigate the enormous library, in search of her brother. She rounded one corner after another, but had no such luck looking for the Slytherin wizard. Various other wizards and witches loitered around the area, but all of them were trying not to look in her general direction out of fear that they would catch her cold stare. Before Jaime could think to ask for help, a voice belonging to a male that she didn't recognize called out to her.

"Are you need of any help, Ms. Cressy?" It asked. Jaime turned around a full 180 degrees to see Blaise, leaning against one of the bookshelves with a folded copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands. Jaime looked him over to see if he had his wand handy, only to see it hanging from one of the loops on his belt. He didn't seem to be interested in confronting her directly, but he probably had his wand out for whatever else he had going on with his day. Nevertheless, he acknowledged her enough to call her name, and offer his help, so he must have some kind of agenda to keep, especially where Draco was concerned. Jaime looked back up at his face to see him with his eyes fixed on whatever he was reading.

"Well, yes. But this would be a lot easier if I knew your name." She said. Blaise lifted his eyes up from the newspaper and looked at her with the friendliest eyes that he could come create. After all, Slytherins are known for their cunning and slyness. He raised himself off of the shelf and tossed the newspaper onto a nearby table.

"Blaise Zabini. Sixth Year Slytherin. So is my friend, the one who wrote you that letter." He said cordially. However, his politeness did nothing to faze the witch in front of him, as she still held up the same apathetic, but guarded expression.

"And he couldn't be bothered to give it to me himself? Or is too busy holding my brother hostage, as his letter so clearly states." Jaime said. At this, Blaise couldn't help but chuckle at her bluntness. She would do well in Slytherin house with her ambitious, if not cruel spirit.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding. Yes, my friend is with your brother as we speak, but the two of them are merely discussing what happened in the corridor the other day. He may not have looked it, but Draco really is sorry for what he did. Even if he had to express it in writing". Said Blaise. Jaime's countenance was unchanged as she heaved her bag further up onto her shoulder.

"Then let's go find him, so he can tell me all of this himself." She said. Blaise had a feeling that she wouldn't believe him, given how quick witted she was, and so he gathered his own belongings and lead her to where the two wizards were.


	19. Chapter 19

It only took a few twists, turns, and walks down a couple of aisles before Jaime caught sight of Draco and Oliver waiting at the Librarian's desk, expectantly. Draco seemed to pleased with himself over something, while Oliver just glanced around the library looking at everything except the wizard in front of him. He only did that in times of uncertainty. Seeing this, Jaime pushed past Blaise and fast walked toward the two of them. When his sister came into his line of sight, Oliver held up his hands, knowing that she would inspect him for any injuries that she assumes where sustained in her absence. For all of her intelligence, Jaime really could be a worry wart when it came down to her brother.

"Before you say anything, I'm fine. I was about to make my way back to you when he came up to me, and practically begged me to forgive him for ripping my clothes." Said Oliver, motioning to Draco with a shake of his head. Jaime's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked back and forth between Draco and Oliver. Draco, not wanting to be on the receiving end of a cold glare that he knew would be coming, turned his back toward the librarian's desk. This didn't last long as he soon heard Jaime addressing him sternly.

"Is this true?" She asked. From out of his peripheral vision, Draco saw the glare that he was anticipating. However, he was determined not to waste another chance with Jaime again, so he turned to face her, and prepared to brave the storm.

"Yes. Every word of it. In fact, I'm actually glad that you're here, Jaime. I trust that my letter found you well, thanks to my good friend Blaise, whom you've met." Said Draco, motioning his gaze over to the aforementioned wizard, who stood behind Jaime and returned his stare with a nod of his head. Before long, he walked away from the three of them. Jaime noticed this, and was more than a bit surprised that Draco was willing to be left alone without his cronies at his back. Looks like he was determined to prove her right when he said that Malfoys are people too. She turned back to him, all the while adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

Oliver caught sight of this, and knew that it was meant to serve as a coping mechanism for when his sister was anxious, or nervous about something that's been on her mind for too long. Something that she assumed would have negative consequences. If it wasn't her bag on her shoulder, it would be pushing her hair to one side of her head, or fidgeting with her wand. He decided now was the time to intervene and show his sister how well he could take care of himself.

"I really don't care what your friend has to do with this. But thanks again for the help. It should help us a lot in the future." Said Oliver nonchalantly. Now Jaime was on red alert. Whatever help Draco gave him, she was anticipating, that it'd come with a hidden agenda later on. One that she'd have to resolve. She'd expect nothing less from a Malfoy. She immediately turned to Draco.

"Excuse me. What help did you give my brother exactly?" She asked. Draco turned to look at Oliver, seeing him give a silent nod of his head, before continuing toward his sister. When he looked at the eldest Cressy, he was quick to state his case.

"I was just talking to Madam Pince, the librarian asking if she was willing to extend year long library cards to the two of the you, while you're hear at Hogwarts. It's good for everything you see here, including the restricted section. As many books as you want And if you have a late return on books, she'll only charge you half of what the original cost was .You're brother was kind enough to give me your information, so it's no problem. She should be returning with them momentarily". Said Draco. Jaime looked at him in pure bewilderment . The coffee beans and the letters were one thing, but this, what he was offering to them was too much. His words from just moments ago, the words from both of his letters, and all of the previous notions that she had about him were now running through her mind at full speed, trying to find something that would give even a tiny indication as to how Draco would benefit from this.

Obviously, the only way that he could get something as exclusive as an all access library card would be through his family name, and nothing more. Malfoys were a lot of things, but one thing they weren't was benevolent when it came to anyone and anything that didn't live up to their standards of pure blood supremacy. That included a vast amount of wealth, acceptance in higher, (not so) polite society, and above all, zero signs of being a blood traitor. As far as she and Oliver were concerned, they were as middle class as they came, they never had a problem fitting in with other people, and despite their open mindedness about muggle borns, they never did anything that would identify them blood traitors. The confusion, and the uncertainty that clouded her mind was demanding answers. Not wanting to lose her cool in the middle of the library, Jaime slowly exhaled a breathe and turned to look at Draco with the hardest glare that she could muster.

"I'm only going to say this one last time. Stop standing there acting like you're some good Samaritan. I'm no buying your crap, Malfoy. If you think we're just going to accept your handouts, under the misguided assumption that we can't provide for ourselves, you've got another thing coming. Sure we may have the same magical blood as you, but definitely not the same mindset, or financial status for that matter."

Oliver's countenance remained unchanged as he listened to his sister rant. While he agreed with what his sister was saying, he didn't particularly like the setting that she was doing it in. Nevertheless, he was tired of fighting her on this issue, and if she felt that this was the best way to handle it, then so be it.

…"You can call us whatever you want, but don't you dare call us blood traitors. I don't give a damn about your money, or your family name. Do you honestly expect us to spend our time here with our heads down and our eyes shut, after the hell we've just been through? Then you're even more of a stuck up prat than I originally thought, because as far as I'm concerned you, your family, and everything you stand for, can sod off and die!" Jaime shouted vehemently. Oliver couldn't help but wince at his sister's final words to the blonde wizard.

He looked around the library only to see that not a single person was fazed by the shouting that had just occurred. Even the librarian herself had yet to come running to the front desk to see what was going on. Jaime didn't seem to notice this, nor did she seem to care. All she seemed to concern herself with was killing Draco on the spot with the angry daggers that she was shooting him. Oliver continued to look around the library and ponder what was going on, until he noticed Draco's wand discreetly tucked into his sleeve, but sticking out to where he could angle it and cast what ever spell he needed. Chances are, it was a silencing spell that only the three of them were able to hear. Oliver's train of though stretched back even further to when Draco had first approached him, asking his forgiveness, and walking a few steps behind him, for a reason that Oliver was suspicious of, until now.

Said wizard let out a semi heavy sigh, and straightened his posture. He looked at Jaime with the most sincere look that either of the Cressy siblings had ever seen, and spoke with an equally sincere tone of voice.

"Fine. If you really want to know my true intentions come to the Astronomy Tower tonight at Midnight". He said. Jaime was immediately taken aback by Draco's words. She was not at all expecting him to come clean about his true agenda, and even now it was still to difficult to digest. She had yet to recover from her sudden outburst, which made her heart beat faster than normal, but this, what Draco had just said to her, began to make her head spin. Before she could say anything, Oliver intervened between them.

"Now hold on a minute. What's in the Astronomy Tower, and why at Midnight? What do you have up your sleeve?"He asked. Draco looked to him with the same unchanged look of sincerity.

"You can come too if you like, Oliver. I'll have someone come for you at 11:30. It's a long way from the Ravenclaw dormitories, the Astronomy Tower". He said. Oliver looked to his sister, expecting her to scold Draco again for his second attempt at dodging their questions. For a moment, he saw a flash of uncertainty cross her face that matched his own, but as quickly as it came, it was replaced with cold apathy. She was putting on a brave face for the two of them.

"Fine. At midnight, tonight. I'll come alone". She looked at Oliver as she said this, before continuing.

"But if you even think of trying anything I deem the least bit suspicious, I won't be held accountable for my actions". Said Jaime. Draco nodded his head in understanding, just in time to see Madame Pince approach the three of them, holding something in her right hand. She gave the three of them a warm smile and directed her gaze to Jaime and Oliver.

"Well hello. You two must be the Cressy Siblings. Mr. Malfoy was just telling me about you. Well, here are you library cards for the year". She said. She placed the cards on the mahogany desk, displaying them for the siblings to see. The cards were an off white color, shaped into small rectangles with their information on it.

 **Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardy**

 **Name: Jaime Cressy**

 **Age:16**

 **Year: 6** **th**

 **Status: Full access to all materials in the library.**

 **Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardy**

 **Name: Oliver Cressy**

 **Age: 15**

 **Year: 5** **th**

 **Status: Full access to all materials in the library**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Sorry that this chapter is so short, but it's the best that I could do for now. It was co written with me by Hollyhobbit101. Be sure to check out her stuff on this website, and be sure to check out the new story that I just posted called** ** _Sempiternal Bloodlust._** **As you already know, Harry Potter does not belong to me, or my co author, but to J.K. Rowling herself.**

Jaime didn't think too much on the aesthetic quality of the cards, and simply turned to see what Oliver thought. He was raising his eyebrows in interest at what the cards displayed, looking impressed by the attention to detail that came with it. Draco stood off to the side, basking in his own self satisfaction. Not just for what was currently happening, but for what was going to happen in the Astronomy Tower. All according to the plan that he outlined to Blaise. Once he escorted her to the tower, Draco would be the only one who would be able to take her back to the Ravenclaw dorms.

But not before coming clean about the feelings that he harbored for her. He had more than a few things that he wanted to get off his chest, his unyielding amazement at her magical skills and her insightful gaze that shines through everything she does ,be it academics, or recreational. He could've continued checking over the list in his mind, but all of that would have to wait until they could be alone together, in the tranquility in the tower. Speaking of Jaime, he broke his train of thought long enough to see her and her brother leaving the library without so much as a thank you for their new cards.

"Are you sure you don't want me coming with you tonight?" Oliver asked as the pair left the library. He was clutching his new library card in his hand tightly, careful not to crease or damage it. Jaime, by contrast, kept turning hers in her hand, folding down the corners and smoothing them out again only to repeat the process all over again.

"I'll be fine. Besides, if he is planning something it's better I go rather than us both getting hurt."

"That's just more incentive for me to go then. Plus, sneaking out at night is against the rules. I'm not letting you get caught alone."

"And _I'm_ not letting you get caught at all. Look, Ol, everything's going to be fine. I'll go see what he wants and if he tries anything I'll tell him where he can stick it. I'll be alright."

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed, before grinning at her. "You might be okay, but your card isn't. You're destroying it!"

Jaime looked down. Indeed, she had subconsciously fiddled with her card to the point where it had so many creases and tears that it looked weeks old, not minutes. She stuck it in her pocket and went back to the common room with Oliver.

Sleep seemed impossible that night. However hard she tried, she simply couldn't drift off. Eventually she went down to the common room and sat staring into the dying embers of the fire until the clock struck half eleven. She walked out the door to find that, true to his word, Draco had sent Blaise Zabini to meet her. He was looking around urgently and tapping his foot, as though he couldn't wait to be out of there. Jaime didn't blame him; it would be difficult to explain why he was outside the Ravenclaw dormitory at this hour if a teacher caught him, especially for someone of his intellect.

Jaime cleared her throat quietly, making Blaise jump. He looked relieved when he spotted her and gestured to follow him.

"If you'll follow me, Ms. Cressy, the Astronomy Tower is this way," he said, turning in completely the wrong direction.

"Where on earth are you going? The Tower is to the eastern side of the castle, not the west!"

"We could go that way, yes, but that would lead us right past the teacher's lounge and the Gryffindor dormitory. Chances are, Potter and his friends will have picked tonight to mess around the castle and we can't risk seeing them along the way."

"Fair enough, but that still doesn't answer my question," Jaime pressed. "If this is another of Draco's stupid plots then I swear I will-"

"Relax. A secret passage that leads directly to the base of the Astronomy Tower is just along here. It will be far quicker and safer than going all through Hogwarts."

Hearing this, Jaime calmed down by only a tiny bit, but she made sure to stay on her toes and keep her guard up. Since she was still her in her robe and pajamas, she made sure to secure her wand up one of the sleeves of her robe.

"Alright then. You lead the way." She said. Blaise turned on his heels and started off for the secret passage to the tower, with Jaime walking a few steps behind him. The stone hallways of the castle were almost completely pitch black, without an ounce of light to alleviate the darkness, except for what the moon provided. As Jaime looked out of the open windows that she passed by, she observed the massive landscape that stretched on as far as her eyes could see, or rather, as well as they could see in the near darkness. Yet something about the expansive scenery reminded her of more interesting time in her life.

The air was heavy due to the slight fog that it's carrying in the early hours of the morning. The trees that surround the forest like area did nothing to help her eyesight. But these details mean nothing to her as she stand motionless in front of her uncle's cabin, with the owner himself on his knees, and his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with the most sorrowful countenance she'd ever seen. "Jaime."

"Jaime. Are you there?" Her wave of nostalgia is broken by Blaises' own voice calling out to her. She looked over and saw him standing in front of a wooden door with his hand flat against it.

"This is the way to the astronomy tower. Once there, it will be Draco who takes you back."

"Fair enough." She said. She was still skeptical about whether she should continue to follow him, but all in all, she was running out of options as to how to shake off Draco's advances. She had questions that needed answers, yet didn't want to hear what he had to say. She wanted as far away from him as possible, yet somehow he manages to find her. The last thing she wanted was for rumors to circulate about her making a false name for herself as Draco's latest conquest. So as far as she was concerned, the only way to get rid of her problem was to yield to it temporarily.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I'm really sorry that this chapter is so short. Schoolwork and homework has me by the throat at the moment, so expect slow updates until further notice. Harry Potter and the characters contained therein do not belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling.**

Blaise managed to open the door without so much as a creak, much to Jaime's surprise due to how old it appeared to be. He stood off to the side, and held the door open for her to pass through first. As she began to make her way inside she saw nothing but darkness. Feeling that she now had a perfect reason to confirm her suspicions of foul play, she prepared to remove her wand from her robe, only to see a soft glow of light emerge from the tip of Blaise's wand.

"I can assure you, Ms. Cressy, I have no intention to harm you. I'm merely doing this as a favor to Draco. If it were up to me, I'd be in the boy's dorm fast asleep. Excuse me" He said indifferently. He move in front of her and began to make his way up the stairs, taking slow steps, to make sure that she followed. Naturally, Jaime did just that, but not before closing the door behind her. As she followed behind Blaise, she was quick to take notice of how narrow the staircase was, and the slight chill that permeated the air around them. The material that she felt when she reached out a hand to touch the wall was cool, solid stone. All of this, only served to double Jaime's suspicions, and increase her own wariness about Draco's intentions.

She knew that she was damned if she did this, and damned if she didn't, but the last thing she wanted for Draco to assume that she was easy prey and sink his claws his claws into her during this meeting. As he would soon find out, Jaime was a force to be reckoned with, and the single most stubborn person that she ever knew, next to Oliver. As she continued to think over a defensive strategy that she could use against Draco, she almost didn't realize that Blaise stopped in front of another door. He turned to look at her expectantly.

"This is where I leave you. From here, you'll find another stair case that will lead right to the Astronomy Tower. After that, it's on Draco to bring you back safely." He said. Jaime raised one of her eyebrows in confusion.

"Whose to say that I won't just find my own way back?" She asked. "This wasn't a particularly long journey." Blaise only shook his head, and slightly pushed the door open. He then turned to walk past her, and leave.

"I'm sorry. I wish that I could explain more, but Draco didn't tell me much of anything either. If you want more answers, you'll have to get them out of him. Goodnight, Ms. Cressy." With those final parting words, Blaise left the way he came leaving Jaime all alone. She shook her head back and forth, looking at the path Blaise just departed down, thinking of turning back and confronting Draco about meeting up on her terms, and then at the entrance to a room that could promise more harm than good if she wasn't careful.

Yet as quickly as the thought entered her mind, Jaime literally shook it out, exhaled a deep breath, and moved closer to the door. Her outward appearance was nothing short of calm and collected, yet her right hand was clutching her wand with an iron clad grip that almost threatened to snap it in two. She'd be damned if she let someone as arrogant as Draco see her in a state of worry. When she made her way into the next room, the first thing that caught her eye was the narrow wooden stair case that stood in the center, and the light from the moon that was casted into that staircase alone.

As thought the darkness of the rest of the room couldn't even come close to it ,without being completely evaporated by the pale moonlight that it was illuminating. This must have been the official entrance to the astronomy tower. Jaime quickly walked toward it, not even caring that the floor beneath her was creaking with each step that she took. As she began to make her way up the stairs, she slowed down her movements, as not to alert Draco of her presence, assuming he didn't hear the creaking wood of the floors. Also assuming he was even in the tower himself. With each step that she climbed, Jaime planned out every word that she was going to say, and every response that she'd give if Draco's own answers weren't satisfactory. As she made her way up the last few steps, Jaime noticed Draco's silhouette leaning against the railing of the tower, looking over the massive landscape. His posture was completely relaxed, as though he were in a state of complete daydreaming. Jaime watched him closely, half expecting him to immediately turn around at the sound of her approaching, and greet her with open arms and a perfect gentleman's disposition.

Instead he just stood frozen to his spot, not even looking over his shoulder for a sideways glance. She continued to watch him with hesitation in her steps, as she began to walk towards him.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer** **: As I've said in the past, this chapter was co written with me by Hollyhobbit101, who also writes for this website, and as always, neither of us owns Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.**

Her wand still firmly clutched in her hand. When she's close enough to where she's standing next to him, she waits for him to start talking. After no more than two minutes of silence, Jaime initiated the conversation herself.

"Well, you'd better have a damn good reason for getting me out of bed at this hour, Malfoy". He slightly turns his head to look at her, with an almost unreadable expression.

"Yes, but only if you'll listen." He said. Jaime slightly shook her head in understanding, but still kept her guard up.

"I am listening. Now just give me a straight answer. What's with the hospitalities that you've been handing out to us?" She asked. Draco turned to look back out at the dark landscape that presented itself to them. Even with the half moon hanging in the sky, it was difficult to see through the veil of the night. He continued to talk, but did it while looking at her through peripheral vision.

"For now, the only answer that I can give to your question, is another question. What do you see, right now in front of us?"He asked. Jaime furrowed her eyes in confusion, but complied with his request all the same. Just as it was when she was in the staircase that lead to the tower, all she saw was pure darkness. The expansive landscape was completely bathed in velvet blackness that didn't receive not a single ounce of moonlight. Jaime could just barely make out the mountains that stood off in the distance. All in all, it there wasn't much of anything to see.

"Practically nothing. It's so dark out here, I can just almost see beyond the reach of my hands". She said. She turned back around just in time to see Draco nod his head in agreement with her observation. His countenance was nothing short of neutral, but contained an underlying sadness that was almost impossible to miss. At least as far Jaime was concerned.

"Yes. I concur wholeheartedly. Only in my case, it goes so much deeper than that. This kind of darkness is overpowering, like being in a room where the lights are too bright. But the room that I'm trapped in doesn't' contain a slither of light in it, or for that matter, comfort. No relief, no rest, no peace, and no escape. Knowing that in one fell sweep everything you once held dear has been taken from you, consume by that darkness, leaving you with this gaping hole where in your body. Then just when you think, it couldn't seep in any deeper, that same darkness begins to fill that whole in your body until you can't even recognize who you are anymore."

By the time he was finished, Jaime now had an inkling as to what part of this meeting was about. But just to be sure, she wanted to pursue the topic even further. "Why are you telling me this?" She asked. The sadness that he tried to conceal was now evident. He stopped leaning on the railing and stood to face her on his own two feet.

"Because that is the Draco Malfoy that you're facing now. Not the wealthy pure blood son of the distinguished Black and Malfoy bloodlines. Not the arrogant self absorbed prick that you've assumed me to be. Well, not anymore at least. This Draco has just been made a death eater as per his father's command, and is scared for his life. He can't have a minute of his rest, because he's constantly reminded of the gravity that comes with being what he is. He can't smile and laugh anymore without feeling hurt, because there's nothing to smile about when the Dark Lord, and his tyrannical father have him by the balls. The boulder that's constantly hanging over his head, and could fall on him the second he screws up in his responsibilities as a death eater. And let me tell you, the impact won't be a painless one." He said.

Jaime had listened to every word that he said, but so far none of them wanted to process in her mind. Partially because she found herself sympathizing with him. Could this really be the same Draco that practically undressed her with his eyes in every class that they share? The same wizard who showed her kindness even when she completely brushed it off? If so, why was he giving her such a lengthy metaphor about the pain of losing something as dear as your own happiness, and being forced to conform to someone else's expectations? Was it because he knew that she felt that same pain? Jaime knew for a fact that she never told anyone about what happened to their parents. Unless the teachers were talking loudly enough for the students to hear it, Merlin forbid. Now more, than ever she needed answers.

"That's awful. But does any of this have to do with me and my brother? You making moony eyes at me every chance that you get?" She asked. Jaime tried to the bet of her ability not to let her uncertainty show, but she wasn't sure how well she'd done that. Draco slightly shook his head and breathed a small sigh.

"The point I'm trying to make is that you are the most singular witch I've ever met in my life. Other pureblood witches don't come close to you. The way you carry yourself is nothing short of graceful. Your use of magic is strong enough to rival some of the other purebloods in this school, including my own. Even if you conceal yourself in a dark shroud of neutrality, I can see a hidden gem shining brighter than all the rest. And that shining light is the very one that can extinguish this darkness. Maybe not completely, but enough that it becomes irrelevant compared to you. I know that you understand me, because I can see it in your eyes that you too have experienced that same darkness, and Oliver is your shining gem, isn't he?"

By now, Draco could see Jaime's eye widen in disbelief at his words, yet he didn't give her a second to respond. "Jaime, if you give me this one chance, I will be everything you could ever want in a wizard and more. Now I won't drown you in money, or expect you to meet unrealistic expectations, but I will expect your absolute love and affection. And in return, I will do the same. Should we be seen in public, I won't put you on display, or even glance at other witches. You have my word as a gentleman." Draco ended another eloquent speech with one knee on the ground, in a bowing position. After a moment, he raised his head to make eye contact with her,

For the first time since the death of her parents, Jaime was filled with pure uncertainty that threatened to completely unravel her. The sincerity that dripped off of every word he spoke was too genuine to be considered false. As much as she loved Oliver, it would definitely be nice to spend time with someone other than him occasionally. For a second, her mind flashed back to that moment at King's Cross Station, when her uncle cautioned her to treat the world as her enemy, if only to protect herself, Oliver, and their beliefs. Of course Jaime would stand her ground to protect what she holds most dear, but there was only so much of the world that she could label as an enemy, and from where she was standing, Draco didn't give off any signs that he was a foe, not if he was able to sympathize with her on such a deep level. But that remains to be seen for the future. However, if he was truly wanting to step out of the acquaintance zone with her, she was going to need for his actions to speak louder than his words. Jaime was shook her own head, trying not to gaze too deeply into his pleading grey eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry, but if it's a relationship you're looking for, I'm going to need more than a few sweet words and a well crafted metaphor." She said. Before Draco's face could fall in disappointment, Jaime raised a hand and continued.

"That's why I'm keeping this under wraps until such time as I see that you truly mean what you say. That means, no touching and kissing if we're ever in public. And if we're alone, you keep it to a minimum, unless I say otherwise." The smile that began to form on Draco's face was no different than a child on Christmas, unwrapping a long awaited present. Jaime wanted to give a smirk of her own, but still had rules to outline for him.

"And if you know what's good for you, you'll defend my honor against your father and whoever else is smart enough to catch on to what we're doing, and tell them that I'm not in any way, shape, or form, a death eater". Draco's smile slowly decreased at the mention of his father, but he shook his head in understanding, none the less. It wouldn't be easy to convince his father of her worth, but he'd definitely do his best. He rose back up to his full height and looked Jaime in the eyes again.

"Yes, absolutely. I accept your terms, but at least allow me to make one term of my own. I promise, it's nothing that you can't handle." She raised in eyebrow in suspicion, but decided to hear him out. When she least expected it, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, gently pulling her towards Draco. By the time she looked down at his hands, and back up at him, it was too late. The two of them were close enough for their lips to be touching.

"Seal it with a kiss. One kiss to mark the beginning of you and me." The husky tone of Draco's voice, mixed with the close proximity that they were in sent shivers down Jaime's spine. Her heart began to beat a little faster, and her breathing increased to match it as well. Before she knew what she was doing, she was grabbing his face with both of her hands, and mashed her lips together with his. His lips were soft if not a little cool, but she wasn't complaining .

While her hands were on Draco's face, his own hands made their way around her waist, looking for any curves that he though were under her pajamas. His lips continued to press against hers in a battle for dominance over their first kiss. She tried to copy his moves and ended up opening her mouth slightly, inadvertently telling him that this was an invitation for his the tip of his tongue to invade her mouth. Draco did exactly that, coaxing her own tongue to come out and play. This alone began to start a fire in her lower stomach, and increase her body temperature. It felt like an eternity since she first initiated the kiss. Well her first kiss anyway. As to how many witches Draco has kissed…The thought alone made Jaime break the kiss first, and pull away from him, but still keep his face in the palms of her hands.

"Don't make me regret this, Draco." She said, slightly out of breath. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist, and used the other one to raise a hand to her face and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'd only be hurting myself if I did." He said. He led her by the waist and began to exit the Astronomy Tower, with his new lover in tow. After bidding a polite farewell to Draco – who had insisted on solving the riddle for her – Jaime climbed the stairs to the girl's dormitory and clambered into bed as quietly as possible. She was extremely tired as it was almost one in the morning but, alas, sleep still evaded her.

Thoughts spun around her head, forcing Jaime to relive every second of that evening and review it in minute detail. For once in her life, she was uncertain as to whether she'd made a good decision, or whether she'd live to regret it in the future. It was just… Draco had seemed so sad and genuine, and she had felt pity for him. Perhaps, despite all her doubts and suspicions, he really was just a decent boy trying to make up for past mistakes. Maybe he really did like her.

The idea of someone liking her seemed ludicrous to Jaime; normally she put guys off with her rude and stand-offish attitude. Anyway, she just didn't have time for a relationship what with looking after Oliver and ensuring her studies were up to standard. Yet… Yet she'd said yes anyway. Why?

She kept thinking and wondering for over an hour more before at last falling into a very troubled and fitful sleep.

Draco had walked swiftly down to the dungeons, where he sat in the common room staring into space. The meeting had gone well, much better than he had dared to dream. So why did he feel so empty inside?

He thought that it might be because Jaime had actually agreed to enter into a relationship with him. That it was guilt for constantly pressuring her until she felt like she had no choice but to say yes. Or maybe it was because he was scared of what his father might have to say when he heard about the fact Draco had chosen an unknown Ravenclaw girl.

After many hours of thought, he decided it was simply fatigue and he would feel much better in the morning. He strolled to the dormitory, thinking about what he might do for Jaime. Perhaps he would order flowers or chocolate for her to be sent in the morning post. Yes, their relationship had to be a secret, but nobody need know they were from him.


	23. Chapter 23

To Everyone who is following The Crescent Moon that Mesmerized the Green

I'm really sorry about an entire month without any new chapters. Both me and my co author have been extremely

busy with school work, and just life in general. I should have made that known a long time ago, but as I've said before, I've been extremely busy, and will p robably stay that way for the forciable future. Nonetheless, my co author and I are determined to see this story completed to the end. So, once again to everyone who has favorited and is following this story, just stay with us a little while longer, and in due time, new chapters will begin to circulate. For the record this is not meant to be a troll, but just a general explanation as to why nothing has been updated in almost a month. So if you haven't already, leave a review, keep calm and carry on.


	24. Chapter 24

To Everyone who is following and has favorited The Cresent Moon that Mesmerized the Green Snake

"I cannot apologize enough for taking yet another month to upload a new chapter. The main reason for this is because I'm going to be sstarting my first semester of college in the Fall, and have been trying to get everything sorted out as far as that goes. Beyond that, I really have no other excuse for making all of you wait for as long as you have. None the less, thank you to everyone who liked this story and stayed with it for this long. It really means the world to me, but let's see if we can kick it up a notch and start leaving reviews as well. While favorites and follws are great, reviews are even better, and give myself and my co author, HollyHobbit101 the inspiration to keep going with this story. Once again, I'm really sorry for taking as long as I have to post new chapters. Once I get everything sorted out with college, I should be back to updating in no time. Just stick with me a little while longer.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I know that I keep repeating myself, but I really am sorry for taking so long to post new chapters. I can only hope that I have enough spare time in college to write as much as I can. This chapter was co written with me by HollyHobbit101, and the characters contained therein do not belong to either of us.**

Jaime almost missed breakfast the next morning. She was woken by Padma Patil shaking her shoulder, her face full of kindness.

"Jaime? Breakfast's in five minutes. We thought we'd let you sleep in as long as possible, but you really have to get up now."

Her eyes heavy with lack of sleep, Jaime glanced around the dormitory. All the other girls were dressed, ready to leave with their beds neatly made. The grandfather clock in the corner read as 7:55. Fan-flipping-tastic. She rubbed her eyes then swung her legs out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, grabbing her robes on the way.

"Thanks Padma. I'll be there as quickly as I can."

With a nod, Padma turned and exited with the other Ravenclaws, leaving Jaime alone.

She practically flew to the Great Hall and managed to slide into her seat beside Oliver , just before Dumbledore greeted them. It was October so the castle had been decked out in Halloween decorations of every kind. The floating candles had been transfigured into pumpkins and Hagrid had managed to persuade some friendly spiders into spinning them beautiful cobwebs to hang from the ceiling. More ghosts than usual drifted among – and through – the hungry student. One of them decided to grab a pastry off the Ravenclaw table for no apparent reason, which involved sticking his arm through Jaime. _That_ woke her up good and proper.

As the students were filing out the Great Hall, Oliver ran up to Jaime and tugged on her sleeve to get her attention. She turned to face him.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, studying her face. "You look really tired and you seemed spaced out during breakfast."

"Tell you later." She moved to walk away, but Oliver pulled her back.

"No. Tell me now."

Jaime sighed. "Meet me in the common room at lunch. I'll tell you what's going on then, I promise. But I really have to get to class now."

Oliver looked at her a second longer then released her. "Fine. See you then."

Jaime watched him as he threaded his way through the crowd. She shook her head at the ceiling and headed off.

The morning lessons passed in a blur. Most of her thoughts were focused on Draco and the previous night, so she wasn't fully concentrated on what she was doing. In Transfiguration she managed to cast an _engorgio_ spell on her mouse instead of turn it into a goblet. However, she managed to rectify her mistake before Professor McGonagall noticed. During Potions, she spotted Draco stealing glances at her every five minutes or so. She flashed him a look that she hope conveyed ' _STOP!'_ It must have worked, for he turned bright red and kept his eyes solely trained on his potion for the remainder of that lesson. She did, however, find another paper bird on her desk when everyone was packing their equipment away. She glanced round, making sure nobody saw, and slipped it into her pocket, resolving to open it later when she was alone. For now, though, she had to figure out how to tell her brother what had happened.

"Hey Oliver." She greeted her brother as she walked into the common room where he was already waiting. Nobody else was there; they must have been down in the Great Hall.

"Hey. What's going on?"

For a moment, Jaime was taken aback by Oliver's directness. Then she laughed. "Blimey, Ol, nice to see you too. No beating about the bush with you then?"

"No. What's going on?" he repeated.

Taking a deep breath, she sat down in one of the armchairs and motioned for Oliver to do the same. "Alright. You've noticed, I'm sure, how Draco Malfoy has shown a certain… interest in me. Well, he invited me to meet with him in the Astronomy Tower last night. Late. That's why I'm so tired."

"WHAT?" Oliver roared, shooting to his feet. "You told me you were going to handle this yourself and now you're meeting with him at some godforsaken hour? What were you thinking?"

"I am handling it!" she yelled back. "You think ignoring him would make the problem go away? I did what I had to, Ol. Now. Are you going to let me finish or have you heard enough."

The siblings faced off for a moment before Oliver eased himself back into his seat and motioned for her to continue.

"Right. He sent one of his friends, Blaise Zabini, to come and escort me there. He explained his difficult situation to me and why he'd been doing what he was. I listened to him and I found myself sympathizing with him. His words... They contained such raw pain, Ol. I think he meant what he said. Then he– he asked me if I would go on a date with him. And I said yes."

She sat back in her chair and looked over at her brother. He was staring at her in shock with his mouth hanging open almost comically and his eyes as wide as saucers. Silence reigned for a minute as Jaime awaited her brother's response to the news. Just as the tension became uncomfortable, Oliver pulled himself out of his reverie and rounded on her.

"What, in hell's name, did you think you were doing?! You could have been caught, thrown in detention for the entire term, scratch that the entire year. Or…Or Malfoy could have been setting you up. Or he might be using you. Did you even think about anyone other than yourself last night? Do you think this is what our parents would want?"

"Don't you DARE bring our parents into this! This is MY decision, not yours and not theirs. Mum and Dad are gone, Ol, and I don't think the rest of my life should be taken up by what they would want."

"You don't understand!" Oliver yelled back. "Before the fire, I promised Dad that I would keep you safe. I PROMISED HIM ,JAIME."

"That's a two way street, Ol. You're my younger brother. Don't you think I want to protect you too? You think I didn't make a similar promise? I can take care of myself. Let me do this and if it's a mistake then I'll back out. But I don't think it is."

Oliver looked at her in surprise. They had never had a fight like this before and even Jaime was appalled. There was an uncomfortable moment between them before Oliver turned away and stormed out of the common room, fuming in silence. As much as Jaime's heart wanted to chase after him, her mind told her to let her brother cool down and come back on his own time. Chances are, he was going straight back down to lunch. In the meantime, Jaime removed the paper bird from the inside of her robes and sat down to begin reading it. Knowing that it was from Draco, she wasted no time in opening it, and reading what was written. As usual the penmanship was in beautiful Italic, something that Draco seemed fond of doing as opposed to just normal cursive.

 _Good Morning, Jaime_

 _I hope that you are having a good day thus far. I wanted to start by apologizing for staring at you again in Potions today. You looked exhausted, as if you hadn't slept very well. Though I must apologize again as that is my fault for keeping you up at such an ungodly hour last night. To make it up to you, I have enclosed in this letter, another batch of edible coffee beans to get you through the rest of the day. When the time is right, I shall endeavor to give you something befitting our current status. For now, I just wanted to say thank you again for giving me a chance where no one else would. When it does come, I promise that you won't regret a single moment of our time together. Until then, stay beautiful, keep doing what you're doing, and I'll be here for you, always._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Draco Lucius Malfoy_

 _P.S. I know that I shouldn't be telling you this, but seeing as how honesty is the best way to build a relationship, this coming Friday, I won't be attending school as there will be an important meeting that my father is insisting that I attend. I'm sure you're already aware of the nature of said meeting. Come Monday, I may feel and look a bit out of character, but I will still endeavor to contact you when I can and somehow plan our first date._

As Jaime finished reading the letter, she placed it on her lap, rolled her eyes, and let out a sigh of frustration. It was only Monday, and already he was showering her with sweet words, and making plans to go out on a date, unaware of the damage that he was unintentionally causing. She could only imagine what he would be like if they were ever alone together. Though on the other hand, if he meant what he said, it would be nice to receive the same love and warmth that she was raised with in her parent's home. Just the though of her parents knowing about her involvement with a Malfoy, who was a death eater, was enough to send a chill down her spine, and make her shake her head quickly; as though it would help her clear the thought from her mind.

Jaime quickly stood from her seat, and went up to the girl's dormitory to deposit the letter alongside the other one in her bedside table drawer. But not before finding the aforementioned coffee beans, concealed in the same manner as the other one, and eating a small handful. She looked up at the grandfather clock that sat in the corner of the room, and saw that she a little over 10 minutes left in the lunch period. Deciding to make up for lost time she made use of the moving staircases, and managed to get back to Ravenclaw table in time to hear Professor Dumbledore give a brief speech about a grand Halloween feast that would come on the official day.

In addition there would be a field trip to Hogsmeade, for all students, including first and second years. Chances are this was when Draco planned for their date to be, since he's been attending this school a lot longer than she had. None the less, Jaime's main focus was making sure her brother was in one piece. From where she was seated, she could see just about every wizard sitting at the Ravenclaw table, but Oliver wasn't one of them. Seeing her distress, Padma leaned forward toward Jaime with a kind smile on her face.

"If you're looking for your brother, you missed him about two minutes ago. He said that he was going the bathroom". Jaime looked at Padma wanting to hear more about her brother's whereabouts, assuming she knew anything more.

"How did he look? Was he upset? Did he say anything when he came back down here?" The kind expression that Padma wore slightly faltered, but didn't completely leave her face.

"Yeah. He looked pretty angry, and didn't really speak to anyone. He even put his head down for a good minute, and when I asked him if he was okay, he got up and said he was going to the bathroom". If you need to find it, then go to the right as soon as you leave here, walk straight until you see an opening, make another right, and you're there". Once she fell silent and turned her attention back to her meal, Jaime knew that was all she would get out of Padma. Still it was better than nothing. With that in mind, Jaime prepared to stand up and leave, just as it was time for lunch to be over.

"Thanks Padma". She said quickly. Not wanting to wait another minute, Jaime got back up and left, following the directions that were given. The hallway was void of people save for the talking portraits that quietly conversed with each other. Just as she was reaching the opening that Padma mentioned, her right shoulder came into contact with something so hard that it knocked her right onto the ground. Fortunately, Jaime managed to stick her arms out to break her fall, but that didn't make the collision any less painless. She hissed in pain, as her wrists bared the brunt of her fall, throbbing in agony, at the amount of pressure that she was putting on them until she was laying belly down on the stone floor. From behind her, she heard a voice that she knew all too well.

"Dammit. Are you okay? I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Said Draco anxiously. As much as Jaime was inclined to believe him, the first time that he said those words, he was on the verge of meeting the end of her wand, given his reputation. Just as she was prepared to lift herself off of the ground, Draco beat her to it, and hooked his hands under her armpits, pulling her to stand on her feet.

"Here, I've got you. How are you feeling?" He asked. Jaime quickly turned around to face, him, but was also faced with the surprise of seeing Professor Snape standing alongside him. As always his expression was purely apathetic, but something in his eyes told her differently as they burned holes in the back of Draco's head. As if there was something he desperately wanted to say to the blond wizard. The look that he sent her way when he noticed her staring quickly went back to apathy, but was partially blocked, as Draco felt the need to push back thin strands of her hair that he believed were in front of her face. Jaime wrapped her hand around his wrist as he tried to do it a third time.

"You can stop that. I'm okay, seriously". The expression that Draco wore was as worried as they come, and wanted to question her further, but knowing that Professor Snape wasn't a patient man, he released a short sigh, remove his wrist from her hand, and pulled it into his own to place a chaste kiss on her knuckle. Shock quickly painted Jaime's face as she pulled her hand away, and made her way down the hall to look for Oliver. It wasn't the gesture itself that threw her off, but the fact that he had the boldness to do it in front of one of the professors. While Professor Snape, being the man that he is, couldn't have cared less if they were dating, it was the principle of it that had Jaime's mind reeling.

He was practically violating a very simple rule that she'd only given him hours ago. As if the day wasn't hectic enough already. As Jaime approached the bathrooms, she now saw that it wasn't just a boy's bathroom, by itself, as it had a girl's bathroom accompanying it. Even though the hallway was empty save for Draco and Snape who were now gone from her sight, Jaime still felt the need to turn around and look out to see if anyone was in the hallway. Not that she had any intention of actually going into the boy's bathroom, but merely stand in the doorway and shout Oliver's name as quietly as humanly possible. Which is exactly what she did for the next 30 seconds, before students began to fill up the hallway and move to their next class.

As much as Jaime hated to be beaten, she could only hope that Oliver wasn't stupid enough to let his temper interfere with his studies. So with a grit of her teeth, she shoved herself away from the bathroom, doorway, and stalked off to her next class.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** **Sorry for taking so long. College classes ae going to start eating up a lot of my time, so expect slow updates. This chapter was co written with me by HollyHobbit101, and none of the characters contained therein, except for Jaime and Oliver, belong to us but to J.K. Rowling.**

Divination with Professor Trelawney was becoming more and more predictable with each class that went by. It was already October, yet they were still learning the basic uses of a crystal ball. Jaime used this time to let her mind wander down a road of nostalgia as she glanced at the metal bird cage sitting in the corner of the room, in which contained a fully grown blue Jay. The memory of the bird inside, she recalled as clear as day.

* * *

 **It was a sunny day in July for the Cressy siblings. One that was spent in the park with their father who sat on a bench a few feet away from his children.**

" **Oliver!" Yelled An 8 year old Jaime to her then 7 year old brother.**

" **Yes. What's wrong?" He asked. As he kneeled down next to his sister, he was quick to notice the fallen blue jay who appeared to have a broken wing. The two of them examined it for two minutes longer, until they were joined by their father.**

" **Poor thing. Looks like she must have fallen out of her nest." He said solemnly. Jaime looked up at him with doe like eyes that shined with wisdom despite her age.**

" **What should we do dad?" Jonathan regarded his children with a warm smile that helped to illuminate the kindness in his eyes before replying.**

" **Well would you like to take care of him at home?" At the sound of this, the siblings faces lit up with excitement at the thought of having their first pet. So Jonathan scooped up the bird in a handkerchief that he'd had, and let Jaime carry it for the journey home. A week later, found Jaime and Oliver in the same park, getting their hands dirty looking for food for their new pet, aptly named Morgan. After a few minutes of digging, Jaime managed to snatch an earthworm out of the ground, while Oliver came up short.**

" **Wow. I got one". She exclaimed. Oliver looked in his sister's direction only for his heart to leap into his chest at the sight, and make him fall back in shock at the sight of the fat worm; clutched between Jaime's thumb and pointer finger. She looked back at him in minor scolding.**

" **What? You're a boy. Aren't you supposed to like worms?" As much as Oliver wanted to protest that comment, he was too petrified by the insect still wriggling around in his sister's hand.**

" **Come on. Do it for Morgan. She has to eat something". Jaime pleaded. A moment of hesitation later and Oliver reluctantly agreed to his sister's wishes, shock wearing off slightly.**

" **Well okay." A half hour later, the two of them were in the backyard of their house with their father standing over them with a plastic container full of worms, crawling and writhing around on top of each other and covered in dirt. As revolting as it was, Jonathan managed to muster up a nervous smile for his children.**

" **There's an awful lot of worms here. Did you two find all of these together?" Jaime shook her head, smiling brightly.**

" **Nope. It was all me, Dad". She said proudly. Jonathan couldn't help but chuckle at this response. He put the container on the nearby patio, and crouched down until he was at the same level as his children.**

" **You've turned into such a tomboy, sweetheart. Just like your mother". He patted her head lovingly, as he said this. Oliver was quick to speak up, wanting the same affection.**

" **And that means I'm like you right Dad?" Jonathan administered the same head pat to his son, ruffling both of their hair in the process.**

" **Yes you are, Ol. Because I hate bugs. So whenever you see one, be sure to call for your sister". He glanced down at them closely and took note of the obscene amount of dirt covered their hands and clothes. But as long as they were safe and happy, he couldn't have cared less at that moment. Jonathan rose back to his feet, but never broke his gaze from Jaime and Oliver.**

" **Well it looks like the two of you could use a bath". Once again, Jaime shook her head, but held her arms out wide, expecting to be picked up as if she were still an infant.**

" **I don't want to, but a hug might change my mind". Oliver followed her lead and held his arms out, just the same.**

" **Me too. I want a hug too". The smiles that they wore spread from one ear to the other, and met their eyes brightly. Jonathan was hard pressed to refuse his children with the level of innocence and sweetness that radiated off of Jaime and Oliver, and bent down to scope them both up in his arms.**

" **Alright. Deal". He used every bit of strength that he had to scope them into his arms and press them against his chest, keeping them close.**

" **I can't believe how much time has passed. Look at how much you two have grown." He looked to his daughter with all the love that a father could muster.**

" **Jaime, as an older sister, it's your responsibility to make sure your brother stays out of trouble, and teach him right from wrong". Being the obedient child that she was, Jaime nodded her head affirmatively.**

" **Yes dad. Jonathan looked to his son, and gave the same compassionate look.**

" **And you have responsibilities too, Oliver. You have to make sure your sister is safe at any cost". Oliver gave the same affirmative nod. Jonathan held his children tight, and brought them up to his chest in a warm embrace, before continuing.**

" **Make that a promise, you hear me?" He asked. Despite the stern tone that her father used, all Jaime could concentrate on was the love contained within his smile.**

* * *

Jaime tried to the best of her ability to keep her tears at bay, but one managed to escape, and fall down her check, while the other one was on the verge of sliding out of her tear duct. She wiped both of them with the back of her hand. That was only one of the numerous memories that she had of her parents, and each one never failed to make her tear up. There was no way she could concentrate now, not that this lesson was particularly important. All of them were just repetition to her. A game of pretend that she has to play through. By the time classes were over, Jaime was suffering from a mild case of tunnel vision as she headed straight for the Ravenclaw dorms, practically speed walking down the hallway, ignoring the greetings from the talking portraits that she walked past. It looks like even they'd heard the news of how gifted she was, despite being a new student. She kept going until she reached her intended destination, but was suddenly confronted by a sense of uncertainty. On the off chance that Oliver was in the common room, he was probably still stewing about what she'd told him earlier. Then again, if he wasn't, and no one had yet to see him, Jaime would have an even more difficult time finding him. As if she wasn't at war already.

The statue before her sensed her distress, but still proceeded with the riddle. A moment of hesitation later found Jaime making her way into the common room, and locking eyes with the first thing she saw. The back of her brother's head. He sat at one of the desks in the expansive room, hunched over, with a quill in his hand. Jaime let out a sigh of relief at this sight, and approached his sitting figure with light, yet audible footsteps. She slung her bag on a nearby chair, and pulled it up to the desk that he sat at. Jaime adjusted her body into a more relaxed position, so as not to look like a meddling sister. She placed both of her arms behind her head, and looked up at the ceiling, exhaling a sigh of exhaustion. She didn't' even have to fake it, given that it really was an exhausting day. Yet Oliver didn't even glance in his sister's direction, and kept on doing his homework. This continued for another minute before Jaime gathered enough of her thoughts to say what she wanted to say.

"You won't believe what I saw in Divination class today". Not a single sound was heard from the younger Cressy ,except for the scratching of quill on parchment. This prompted his sister to continue.

"A blue jay. Just like the one we took care of as kids. You loved it to pieces, but were too scared to help me find food for it. I always teased you about not being as tom boyish as I was. But at the end of the day, Dad would swoop us into his arms and give us the biggest hugs, and we were all happy". Whether it was the fact that he was finished writing his sentence, or something else, Jaime wasn't sure, but Oliver stopped his writing long enough to lift his head up, and slowly turn to look at his sister. From the way he stared at her, he didn't look the least bit convinced, and looked ready to go back to his writing. Jaime couldn't help but release another exasperated sigh.

"Look the point I'm trying to make is that Mom and Dad would want us to be happy and go on, even without them. I know you want to live up to their expectations, even with everything that's happened, but let me shoulder this burden, and when the time is right, it'll be you're turn to protect me. Can you promise me that, at least?" She concluded. Oliver had yet to say a single word the whole time his sister spoke but the tears that began to well up behind his eyes spoke for him, as he practically leaped from his chair, and threw his arms around Jaime's neck.

"Dammit, I want to stay angry at you, so bad". He said. Jaime chose not to respond and reciprocated his hug, with large tears of her own sliding down her cheeks. How long had it been since they hugged like this? A week, a month, not since arriving at Hogwarts? It didn't matter. In this moment, the two of embracing, with all the love that siblings could possess was all that mattered. Friday came quicker than Jaime and Oliver had anticipated, and with each day that passed, the school was becoming more and more decked out in Halloween decorations. And with extra decorations, came extra assignments that the teachers tried to squeeze out of the students. All of which the two of them completed, with no trouble at all. Jaime's focused and intellectual disposition earned her a friendship with Padma Patil, even if they only had brief conversations during meals, and exchanged good mornings, hello's, and goodbyes. She was so concerned with her schoolwork, and looking after Oliver, that she'd almost forgotten about Draco not being in class that day, due to the meeting with his father. Even his usual mooney eyed stares in her direction, had been reduced to glassy eyed stares of oblivion and apprehension, with each class that they shared; until the aforementioned Friday had come, and he was nowhere to be found.

As much as Jaime wanted to confront him about it throughout the week, she just couldn't find a moment for them to be alone, lest someone decide to be nosy and start snooping around. And going back to the astronomy tower at another god awful hour was out of the question. The most she could do was hope that he would be well enough to come back to school next week, and make good on his promise to go on a date.

* * *

Draco shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair, resisting the urge to lean his head in his hands and close his eyes. It was difficult not to be nervous when the Dark Lord himself was sitting 10 feet from you in your own home but he somehow managed it. Truth be told, he wasn't focusing on what neither Voldemort nor the other Death Eaters were saying at all; he was distracted by thoughts of Jaime.

He didn't know how he was going to juggle their relationship with his duties as a Death Eater. Before, it would have been so much easier. Back then he was just in the lower ranks, not worth much attention at all. But then his father had to screw up and land Draco with the task of cleaning up his messes and redeeming their name. So now he had to carry out the worst task of all: murdering Dumbledore. If Jaime ever found out about this... Well, he didn't want to think about what she would do. He wouldn't have a fool's hope of staying with her, that's for sure.

Deep in thought, he didn't realize the meeting was over until his father was loudly clearing his throat in the seat next to Draco. He looked up and saw that everyone else was moving to stand. He joined them, inclining his head in respect as Voldemort moved down the table. And if those snake eyes rested on Draco a second longer than everyone else, he tried not to notice.

The room began to clear and Draco made to move with the rest of the Death Eaters when his father caught his arm. He looked up and saw barely disguised rage clear in the eyes of the older man. For the sake of appearances, Lucius relinquished his grip on his son's arm, but his manner made it clear Draco wasn't going anywhere soon. When there was no one in the room but the two of them, Lucius whirled and seized Draco by the shoulders.

"Who do you think you are, boy?" He hissed. "We consider it the highest honour to host the Dark Lord here and you – my son – choose to- to _daydream_ whilst we are discussing the most important of matters. I demand to know what is so fascinating that it distracts you from your duty."

Draco stood stock still, his mind desperately trying to come up with an explanation to his father's question. He was about to blurt out some random response when Severus Snape glided up behind them.

"May I request a word with you, Lucius?" He asked in a silky tone. Lucius released Draco and took a step back. It was clear that he didn't appreciate being interrupted.

"What is it Severus?" He snapped. Snape inclined his head and walked a few paces. Lucius shot a murderous glare in Draco's direction and followed him. Draco couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he could make a good guess. When they were done, Snape strode out the room, his black cloak flapping behind him. Lucius's face had turned bright red and a vein was pulsing on his forehead. When he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet.

"Do you mean to tell me that you have forsaken your duties for a- a _girl_?" The disgust was evident in his tone.

Draco hung his head and nodded. "I- I couldn't help it Father. Jaime is a wonderful girl, I could not let her go."

"Tell me, Draco, what is this 'wonderful girl's' blood status?"

"She is pureblood Father."

"Really? Then I shall meet this… Jaime at the Halloween Feast at Hogwarts. I am still one of the school's governors, unfortunately, so I must act accordingly."

"But… Father, you can't!" Draco protested. His heart was racing. This couldn't happen, it would ruin everything the two of them had built.

"Watch me," Lucius snapped, then marched out of the room, leaving Draco alone. He took a deep, shuddering breath and put his hands to his face.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** **I can't apologize enough for taking so long to update a new chapter. The only excuse that I can give is that college has me up to my eyeballs in homework. So all I can ask is that you (the readers) be patient with me, as this story will be getting slow updates. Also, I'd like to apologize in advance if this chapter seems out of place or rushed. That being said, Happy belated Thanksgiving, and as always Harry Potter does not belong to me, or my co author, HollyHobbit101.**

* * *

 **In the previous chapter:** Draco hung his head and nodded. "I- I couldn't help it Father. Jaime is a wonderful girl, I could not let her go."

"Tell me, Draco, what is this 'wonderful girl's' blood status?"

"She is pureblood Father."

"Really? Then I shall meet this… Jaime at the Halloween Feast at Hogwarts. I am still one of the school's governors, unfortunately, so I must act accordingly."

"But… Father, you can't!" Draco protested. His heart was racing. This couldn't happen, it would ruin everything the two of them had built.

"Watch me," Lucius snapped, then marched out of the room, leaving Draco alone. He took a deep, shuddering breath and put his hands to his face.

* * *

**Now:** By the time, Monday had arrived, Draco looked nothing like he said he would in his letter. Instead he looked even worse, at least in Jaime's eyes. His usual silky blond hair had been slightly tussled, accompanied by dark circles under his eyes that stared into space with a blank expression, and an almost permanent frown plastered on his face. The girls who normally kissed the ground that he walked on now coward in fear and moved out of his way, after just one look at his grim expression.

And if that wasn't enough he was falling behind in homework assignments, and failing every test that they took in their shared classes. Whatever had been discussed at last week's death eater meeting couldn't have been good for him to be like this. Currently, they were sitting in history of magic with Professor Flitwick learning the history of Halloween in both muggle and wizarding culture. Jaime sat armed with a quill in one hand, and a fresh sheet of parchment in front of her appearing to be taking notes, but instead was writing a note to the despondent Slytherin sitting not too far from her. The logical part of her brain hesitated to continue with what she was doing; that If he wanted to tell her about it, he would do it. But the sympathy that she felt for his situation over ridded her logic for a brief moment. To have everything taken from you including, but not limited to your life, your dreams, every ounce of happiness that you once held dear, and being forced to fit someone else's idea image. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the same way.

Jaime looked back at him to see that he didn't look the least bit interested in what was going on, nor did he move a single muscle as he sat with one hand supporting his low hanging head. The other was draped across practically the entire parchment. Jaime added the last period of her sentence, and gave the ink a minute to dry before quietly folding it in the shape of a frog and charming it to hop onto Draco's desk. A vast majority of the class was either falling asleep or passing notes, giving Jaime the perfect cover. Despite this, Jaime set the frog onto the ground and watched as it hopped over to Draco's seat in small but powerful leaps, lest someone actually was paying attention.

The paper frog gives a single powerful leap onto his desk, landing right in front of him; The timing couldn't have been better since Flitwick had turned his back to write something on the board. Draco's immediately woken out of his stupor, and looks around the room before looking Jaime's direction. The confused look on his face was answered by the small nod Jaime gave sent him. He gingerly began to unwrap the frog and read it's contents.

 **Is everything okay? You look nothing like you said you would last week. You look even worse. I know that you're not in your right state of mind right now, but at the very least give me one word to describe the severity of your situation. Not a detailed letter, or a novel, just single solitary word to tell me how you're feeling. I don't even care if you swear. It's the least I can do after all of your notes to me.**

Draco looked back up to meet Jaime's gaze with the tinniest glimmer of affection shining in his grey pupils. Jaime returned it with a nod of her head towards her letter, whilst raising her eyebrows. A moment of uncertainty later, Draco now sat to his full height, exhaled a slow sigh, and began writing on the paper frog. Yet it didn't look like he was stopping at just a single word as he continued to write, probably creating a full paragraph. Jaime watched him curiously, as he wrote with fast and furious intent, coupled with a stormy look in his eyes. Whether it was about the meeting or something else, she wasn't sure, but it certainly had him writing a novel. So much so that he didn't even refresh the ink on his quill. And by the time he put down the quill, it was fresh out of ink.

Jaime looked back and forth between the blond wizard, and his novel wondering if she should have chosen a better time to broach such a sensitive topic. She continued to watch him as he refolded the frog into it's original shape. He charmed it before he returned it to Jaime in the same fashion. Since she was the one who broached the topic, she unwrapped the frog, like a child on Christmas expecting a long awaited present. The handwriting was angry, but it was legible, making reading it less of a chore for her. He didn't even bother with his usual italic style, but for the first time used regular cursive.

 **DEAD. There's your one word. One word to describe my very existence at this point, is dead. However, a phrase that I'd like to use to describe you is On your Guard. Because that's what you'll need to be when my father comes here to see you during the Halloween Feast. Whether he'll actually come before, during, or after the feast, I'm not sure; due to his unpredictable nature. Hence why I say be on guard, and if possible keep Oliver at bay. I'm sure the last thing you'd want is to drag him into our madness. Nevertheless, be weary of my father when he comes and stay on your guard at all times. Just as you did with me. Stay beautiful, love.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Draco**

 **P.S. I'm going to try and attempt our first date after Halloween. I'll come to you with more information when I can.**

Jaime narrowed her eyes in utter confusion at the words on the parchment. She slowly glanced back up at Draco only to see him staring back at her through his peripheral vision. She looked between him and the words a dozen times, not knowing what to make of the letter, until she finally released a sigh of irritation. Jaime knew that this would be inevitable, one way or another. After all, interacting with one Malfoy meant interacting with at least a dozen others; she just didn't expect it to come this quickly.

If she had to hazard a guess, the leak of their relationship must have been back when Draco had fixed her up after knocking her to the ground in front of Snape; and due to his friendship with the Malfoy patriarch, Snape reported it back to Lucius. Jaime now had half a mind to either hex Draco into oblivion, or punch his brain clean out of his skull seeing as how he obviously wasn't using it. But both of these ideas were stumped by the realization that she'd welcomed his touch after he picked her up off the ground that day.

She had the perfect opportunity to swat his hand away, and go about her business but once again she was blindsided by the gentleness of his touch and the sincerity that he radiated when in her presence and hers alone. Now if anyone needed to be punched it was the witch herself. For all of her strength, intelligence, and cynicism, Jaime knew when to accept defeat, especially when caught in the grips of a losing battle, and treating the world as her enemy. And in this moment, she knew that her soon to be encounter with Lucius was a battle she meant lose and thus accept the defeat. Meaning no one worded answers, no cynical remarks about the inequality of the wizarding world, and above all no revealing her fondness for muggles and muggle borns. One thing that her parents stressed to her and Oliver above all of their lessons, was the importance of playing pretend. Portraying yourself to be one way, when really you're another. And solely to avoid the discrimination of being labeled as blood traitors.

Then coupled with sudden deaths of said parents, and her uncles parting words to stand her ground against those who'd hurt her, all of this made for one very angst ridden witch. It was amazing how Draco was able to tolerate her surliness at all. All of her contemplation distracted her from Flitwick's dismissal of the class and wishing them a safe and happy Halloween. Everyone in the room was too busy packing up their supplies to see Draco staring at Jaime intently, with one raised eyebrow as she hadn't written back to him. Instead she packed up her supplies along with everyone else, including the letter, and made her way out of the room. Not too quickly, and not too slow either. Just enough that she left at the same rate as everyone else.

While no one was looking, she turned to see Draco looking at her with same longing as always. If Jaime was being honest, the puppy eyed stares were starting to wear on her nerves. All the same, she couldn't just leave him holding his breath and waiting for answer; After all, this was Lucius Malfoy they were talking about. Hence why she simply mouthed her response, knowing he was intelligent enough to read her lips.

"I'm sorry. Later, I promise". She said. She stopped in the doorway of the room to look over her shoulder and see Draco exhaling a sigh. Whether it was in relief or anxiety, she didn't stick around long enough to see. The last class of the day ended in earnest and had the Cressy siblings eating dinner under the bright candle light of the cafeteria. The light may have been bright, but both Jaime and Oliver's eyes were dark as Oliver read the letter from his sister's class with Draco, showing blatant disgust and apprehension.

"So, how's that whole "let me shoulder this burden thing" coming along?" He asked. The sarcasm behind Oliver's words was impossible to miss and only served to aggravate his sister.

"For once, can you not argue with me? This was bound to happen one day or another". She said. Oliver narrowed his eyes at the words on the parchment one last time before returning it to Jaime and taking a drink from his glass of pumpkin juice.

"Did he say where exactly the two of you were supposed to go out?" Jaime could only shake her head and place the letter back into her bag.

"No. Just one more thing for me to fuss over. But for the time being, I need to keep a watch out for Malfoy Sr." Now Oliver was more confused than he was distressed; only this time, his next words came out sincere.

"You're absolutely sure there's nothing I can do to help? Maybe I can keep watch incase he decides to overstep his boundaries, Malfoy or not." He asked. Jaime could only shake her head and bite the inside of her lip in deep concentration. Something she only did when the problem was something that couldn't be solved with a pen and paper. When the only other option open to her was by means of magical, and sometimes physical force, though in this case, it would cause more harm than good; especially where Malfoy Sr. was concerned. She's lucky that Draco was too focused on her pretty face to care to care

"No, but Merlin forbid something does happen, I'll keep you up to date. I just hop Draco isn't too yellow bellied to stand up to his overbearing Dad". She responded. Oliver gave a brief shake of his head as he handed the note back to his sister. Jaime ate her food, but it had not a single bit of flavor on her tongue. Draco watched her interaction with Oliver from across the way, including her giving the note to her brother for his input. His eyes didn't hold their usual puppy dog longing, but rather deep concentration.

What distinguished this look from all of the others, was that his eyes didn't follow her every move. Her every head shake, hand movement, even the amount of food that she ate escaped his watchful gaze. His cool grey eyes simply remained frozen on the back of her head, as if he was trying to drown in the darkness of her hair. His statuesque appearance, drew the attention of Blaise who sat to Draco's left. Blaise looked at his best friend, with concerned eyes and baited breath, waiting for some kind of movement. Anything to show Blaise that someone was home; a tired yawn, a sigh of exhaustion, a mocking scoff at the students of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses, or even just raising a hand to fix his thick main of hair. But, he soon saw that the blond wizard wouldn't come out of his silent stupor easily, and decided against his better judgement to use Legilimency to see just what had Draco in such a state. Blaise reached inside his robe for his wand, and angled it to not be seen by Draco; nonetheless, it was aimed and ready to probe the blond wizard's mind.

But that plan was brought to a screeching halt when a hand suddenly latched onto Blaise's wrist, and was followed by a second one that took Blaise's wand out of his hand. Blaise's eyes followed the hand that took his wand, to see that it lead right back to Draco himself.

I don't think that's such a good idea, mate" Said Draco. When the blonde wizard finally looked at Blaise out of his peripheral vision, the gleam that was in his eyes told Blaise everything he needed to about Draco's half comatose state.

"It's your Dad isn't it?" Asked Blaise. Draco merely gave a brief nod of his head, and motioned in Jaime's direction.

"With all the darkness surrounding me, she seems to be the only light source I have. She's unafraid, unwavering, a natural with magic, mate. I could go on, but the bottom line is that I can't afford to let my father come in between us. My mother and I have payed a hefty price because of his actions, but I won't let her be one of them. I have to have her by my side. No matter what". He said. Blaise remained silent and stared at his friend with astonishment in his eyes.

The Italian wizard didn't know whether to be happy about Draco's renewed ambition, or disappointed that it was over a witch. One witch out of the hundred, even thousands of others that would lick the soles of Draco's shoes just to be in his presence. Still, he thought back to the few short moments that he met her, and ultimately decided that couldn't be happier to see his best friend choose this one witch out of those other thousand.

This one witch that was so true to herself that a Polyjuice potion wouldn't be able to copy her in any way, shape, or form. Yet she fakes it to make it for herself and her brother. This one witch that would stare a stranger in the face, unfaltering regardless of their intentions. One witch, who despite whatever faults she may have, is the spitting image of perfection thought she may seem to think there is none to be found. Blaise didn't need to deliberate on this thought any longer. He'd already made up his mind about Jaime Cressy. She was well and truly the one for Draco.

* * *

Halloween day had the entire school buzzing with excitement, from the talking portraits that hung on the walls right down to the normally rude and abrasive Argus Filch who used his down time to contently feed his beloved cat Halloween treats. All of the student dorms were a symphony of chatter as girls talked about what Halloween themed accessories they would wear to impress the boys; meanwhile the boys discussed gifts that they would give to the girls they had crushes on.

The Cressy siblings decided to get in on the action and join in on the revelry. Today, Jaime wore a metallic spider pin on her school tie. The decorative spider had an onyx gem for an abdomen and was attached to a long metallic thread, as if it were descending from an imaginary web. Oliver's tie was completely black and covered in large, white spider webs. It was as festive as the two of them were going to be, as today was also the day that Jaime had been quietly dreading.

The one where she'd meet Lucius Malfoy. Every night as soon she finished her studies she played the out the scenario a dozen times, and each time, the result ended the same. Lucius questioned her about everything related to pureblood supremacy, and especially her family. Each question brought with it a new amount of trepidation, as her heart pounded against her chest, and she tried with all her might to prevent her palms from sweating.

The Great Hall is full yet, it feels empty with the way Lucius' gaze penetrates her; as no one else wants to risk catching his stare. Not even his own son who is nowhere to be found. Yet somehow, at the end of the meeting, Jaime always comes out unscathed. She lived up to Lucius' expectations until the next time they meet. And while it was merely a dream, it was one that Jaime wanted to make a reality, if only to get it over and done with. As she finished brushing her hair, she double checked to make sure her appearance was nothing short of presentable before she gathered her books, and descended out of the girl's dorm with other witches.

The entire castle was aglow with pumpkin filed candles, beautifully crafted spider webs, and an almost infinite amount of ghosts going through walls and even students simply for the fun of it. While classes were still in session that day, even the classrooms were decorated in Halloween colors, even from the high ceilings. By the time all classes were over, the Great Hall was filled to the brim with joyful witches and wizards; students and staff members. The entire staff of teachers sat at their usual seats at the head table.

A few of the school governors were also present and among them was Lucius Malfoy himself. Instead of engaging in conversation with the other adults around him, his eyes scanned the enormous room until they landed on the Slytherin table, where he found his son glancing at something horizontally at another table. Lucius followed Draco's stare until they landed on a girl sitting at the Ravenclaw table. A girl with ink black hair who was conversing with a boy sitting to the left of her.

The Malfoy Patriarch raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow in inquiry and began to move towards the Slytherin table. He was well aware of the fact that he was attracting attention from other witches and wizards, who sat in awe and intimidation at the aura he was radiating. However, he was also aware of the fact that more than most of them were either half bloods or muggle born and as such they weren't worth a single grain of their salt.

Lucius continued toward the table of pureblood students until he was standing directly behind his son. Fortunately, his friends had the decency to stay quite about his presence. By the time Draco realized what Blaise and Crabb were trying not to stare at, it was too late. The blonde wizard turned around only to partially come in contact with his fathers' chest. Lucius stared down at his son, with a skeptical look that he used when he intended to nitpick at something Draco did. Said Wizard own countenance faltered until it was completely neutral.

"Hello father". He said. Lucius returned his sons' greeting with a nod of his head and scanned the room until they landed on the ink haired girl that Draco was previously looking at. She seemed to be sharing her food with the boy sitting to her left, with the smallest of smiles on her lips. After assessing the girl's physical attributes from afar, Lucius' skeptical expression slowly melted away and became one of intrigue and inquiry.

"Well, now I know you weren't lying when you said that she's wonderful. Physically, I mean. This witch seems to be more put together than the whores you embroil yourself with". He said. Lucius' words barely counted as a jab to his son. He'd heard worse.

"Yes, well unlike those whores that you mentioned, this witch didn't immediately fling herself at me. Then again, she doesn't really interact with anyone else save for her younger brother". Said Draco. He now had his father's full attention. "Younger brother?" He questioned. To which Draco responded. "The boy with brown hair sitting to her left. The two of them are pretty much bound at the hip". Then the most amazing coincidence of the year happened right in front of the pureblood wizards, more so for Draco.

Oliver stood up from the Ravenclaw table and left, leaving his sister to herself. While, Lucius couldn't see it, Draco's eyebrows were raised so high on his face that it seemed like they would fly off at any minute; whereas Lucius only raised one in mild surprise. "It looks like that's no longer the case at the moment". He said. Lucius moved from his spot behind his son started towards Jaime until he was standing behind her now. Seeing this, Draco could feel his breath catch in his lungs, almost anticipating that the worst would come of their encounter.

He knew that his father was smart enough not to start any problems that would identify him as a death eater, but whatever he decided to speak to Jaime about couldn't have a good reason behind it. The aforementioned witch was wearing a mask of wariness, as she was being addressed by the most powerful and bigoted wizard in al of London, next to Voldemort himself. Draco couldn't heat their conversation from where he was seated, but he could only see Jaime's lips move to form sentences that he hoped would please his father.

* * *

Jaime sat at her desk, rereading her homework assignment with tired eyes. She prided herself on the fact that she had enough focus to accomplish any task within a short to moderate time span. But for whatever reason, her movements were slow, as she began to tap her quill against her parchment in a distracted manner. Her conversation with Lucius Malfoy still rang fresh in her ears, despite her attempts to let it go over her head.

Oliver got up to use the bathroom leaving his sister to her own devices. This didn't last very long, when she felt as if something was standing close to her. When she turned to look out of the edge of her vision, the first thing she saw was a silver snake headed cane. It became painfully obvious who was standing behind her...


	28. Chapter 28 (Not Really)

HOLD YOUR HORSES. THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE, NOR IS IT MEANT TO BE A TROLL. I JUST NEED TO TKAE THIS TIME TO SAY SOMETHHING IMPORTANT. PLEASE HEAR ME OUT...PLEASE.

I can't begin to tell you all how much it means to me ,and HollyHobbit to see this story get so much positive feedback and only after uploading a new chapter three days ago. Seriously, when we first started this story and uploaded it to this site, I was convinced that I'd have to wait an eternity for it to be read, or even skimmed over. But looking a the growing number of reviews, follows, favorites that have been coming in, I can proudly say that you all are the reason I can do creative writing ,fanfiction or original. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. But as I said in the disclaimer for chapter 27, you all are going to have to be patient when it comes to updates since I am in college and am practically buried in assignments, especially with the fall semester about to come to a close. But I do intend to finish this story, even if it takes another whole year. So once again, thank you all so much for reading what I have to offer. And if enjoy reading this, be sure to check out my other fanfic, Sempiternal Bloodlust, a crossover story between Sherlock and Tokyo Ghoul. I'll leave you to ponder the rest as you check it out. I'm also on Wattpad under the same username, and am currently writing an Assassination Classroom fanfiction that is Karma Akabane x OC. That's it for now. See you al in the official chapter 28.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I'm awake and I'm alive. And so is this new chapter that was co written with me by HollyHobbit101. Not sure if I mentioned this in the previous chapter, but this story will be getting slow updates now that I'm back in college and will have a pretty massive work load. But aside from that, Jaime and Oliver are the only characters that belong to me. All other characters belong to J.K. Rowling. **

**In the previous chapter : **Oliver got up to use the bathroom leaving his sister to her own devices. This didn't last very long, when she felt as if something was standing close to her. When she turned to look out of the edge of her vision, the first thing she saw was a silver snake headed cane. It became painfully obvious who was standing behind her.

* * *

 **Now:** "Excuse me". He spoke. Jaime shifted her body to get a better look at the wizard who addressed her. The gleam that was in his eyes told Jaime that he wasn't looking at her, but looking through her, assessing her physical attributes.

"You are Ms. Jaime Cressy, yes?" Lucius asked. Jaime kept her eyes firmly locked on him and gave him a small nod of her head. "Yes, Sir". She replied. The Malfoy Patriarch shook his head in understanding, but didn't let up on his visual dissection of the witch in front of him.

"I see. I assume I need no introduction, however my son has talked about you quite a bit. He says that you're at the top of the class in every subject that you two share. But he never mentioned you would be so pretty." He said confidently. A disgusted shiver traveled through Jaime's body but her countenance remained stoic. It was one thing for her to be flirted with by boys her own age, who she sent running off with a single glare; But to be flirted with by a man who was old enough to be her father, made her want to vomit entirely. And a passive aggressive response would do nothing but land her in a bad light as far as Lucius was concerned.

So no matter how unwanted they were, Jaime could do nothing but grit her and accept his statements. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy". She responded. Lucius smirked at her compliance and began to remove his wand from within his cane.

"According to my son, your blood status is that of a pureblood. Is that correct?" He asked, skeptically. Jaime was well aware that this question was impossible to avoid, as per the bigotry and racism that poisons the wizarding community, and now had no choice but to answer. "Yes I am." Her tone was apathetic, but polite as not to upset the wizard that looked down at her. However, Lucius didn't seem to notice and proceeded to remove his wand, unsheathing it completely.

"It's refreshing to know that there are still purebloods in our world who have the aptitude for magic that displays our superiority, and for that I feel that you deserve a small reward. An incentive to keep excelling in your studies." He said. Lucius then tapped his wand on a spot on Jaime's plate that was moderately clean and used a non verbal spell to produce a small rectangular bar of chocolate that was covered in a beautiful silver wrapping. It was clear from the wrapping alone that this was a treat that only the wealthy could afford and Jaime wasn't in a position to refuse him.

She picked it up by one of it's corners and place it in her other hand. While she didn't have much of a sweet tooth, Jaime could distinctly remember her parents giving her and Oliver chocolates like this on Christmas Day as opposed to Halloween. A vast majority of their money went to covering the house in beautiful decorations, both magical and muggle. That, and the siblings had more than enough candy from trick or treating. The nostalgia of the chocolate in her hand made Jaime's heart sink into her stomach, but she steeled herself in the presence of the aristocratic wizard and made a mental note to cry later if she could help it. So she set the candy bar on her plate, and looked back to Lucius who stared at her expectantly.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's very kind of you". She said. She even put on her best fake smile, and hoped beyond hope that it pleased him to some extent. To her relief, it worked well given the fact that Lucius now wore a smirk on his face. For some reason it made him look like even more of a snake than the one on the head of his cane.

"Yes of course. Enjoy it, Ms. Cressy." He said. Jaime nodded her head in understanding and turned her attention back to her food, ignoring the candy bar, and hoping beyond hope that that was the end of their conversation. But Lucius had something else in mind for her. He turned away from her and scanned over the rest of the Great Hall, identifying the students who occupied it. He countenance showed mild interest.

"Our world has seen numerous changes over the years. Especially with the inclusion of muggle borns in public institutions." He said. When he wasn't looking, Jaime released a sigh of fatigue and dread. It was becoming obvious where this conversation was going. Without even looking at him, she could tell that he was looking at her again. But this time, more intently as he continued to talk.

"With all these muggle borns running around, it's become difficult to find acceptable wizards and witches anymore. According to one of my associates, pure magical blood is counting for less almost everywhere now". He said. At the mention of muggle borns, Lucius' voice took on a more contemptable tone of voice. Now Jaime's guard was up even higher than before. Since she was anticipating a question of this variety , she reluctantly turned to look at him once more.

"I'd like to hear your thoughts on this matter, if I may". He asked. Even with his politeness, it was meant to be taken as a demand as opposed to a request. And one that Jaime was in no position to refuse. She decided to go with what she though would be a suitable excuse, but worded it carefully enough to meet the wizards' high standards.

"With all do respect Mr. Malfoy, I haven't given this matter any serious thought as I'm still trying to come to grips with another one that has struck me quite personally". She said. She could tell that she now had his full attention and interest as he raised a single eyebrow at her. His silence must have been his que for her to continue, so Jaime made her countenance appear to be grief stricken before continuing.

"You see, my parents were recently killed in a fire that destroyed my home. It would have killed me and my brother as well, had our parents not gotten us out in time. Now it's just the two of us. We only have each other". She said. Jaime hated herself for telling him all of this, but she was also growing weary of his presence and was becoming unnerved by her brother's extended absence. Lucius was now looking down at her with sympathy in his eyes as he lowered his head solemnly.

"My sincerest apologies, Ms. Cressy". He said. Jaime nodded her head in thanks , whilst keeping up her grief stricken expression. Lucius returned his wand to it's place inside of his cane and felt around for something else inside of his robes.

"I meant what I said before. It truly is a relief to see pure wizard blood being use to it's highest potential . And that's what I see when I look at you, Ms. Cressy". In his hand he now held a black skeleton key that seemed to shine in the candlelight despite the thickness in it's color. He set it down in front of her and waited to see her reaction. But Jaime did nothing but stare at it, as if she were waiting for some kind of explanation, or for further instructions. When she said nothing, he spoke again.

"I'd still like to hear your opinion on the allowance of muggleborns in our institutions, over a cup of tea perhaps. It's so difficult to find someone to have an intelligent conversation with these days. You'll find that it activates every Friday as well as weekends". Said Lucius. That last sentence was followed by an exasperated eye roll. In that moment, Jaime knew that the object placed in front of her was meant to be a port key. Her body felt numb, but her mind was reeling and trying to find a logical reason as to why the Malfoy Patriarch was giving this to her. It couldn't have been for something as trivial as a cup of tea. As if he'd been reading her mind, Lucius responded.

"I'd have my son give this to you, but he's much too forgetful for his own good." He said. Jaime now had the strongest urge to roll her eyes at the blond wizard, but she managed to suppress it and proceeded to pick up the port key in one hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's very gracious of you". She said. What he did next made her stomach lurch and almost made her vomit her nearly digested food. He smiled at her with a gleam in his eyes that seemed to underlie something more than what he was letting on.

"Yes. We'll be in touch, Ms. Cressy. Happy Halloween." He said. With that, Lucius turned and walked away, not giving her a chance to respond. Where he was going, Jaime didn't know, nor did she care. Especially since she didn't realize she was holding her breath until she went to exhale. Nonetheless, she was grateful that she did. Another minute too soon, and she would be deprived of oxygen. But who in their right mind could breathe when they were being strangled by a snake?

* * *

Back in the safety of the dorm, and still Jaime felt on edge after that conversation. She put down her quill and got up to lounge on the couch in the common room. Once again, Oliver was out and about, trying to find some left over Halloween feast candy for the two of them to enjoy. Since neither of them really wanted to go Hogsmeade with the rest of the student body, they opted to spend their Halloween in the castle, eating as much candy as they could. At least no one could say that they didn't have any holiday spirit. Jaime stared at the high ceiling of the room, mesmerized by the gothic architecture memorizing the patterns and lines that decorated it. For some reason, her conversation with Lucius was not nearly as nerve racking as she expected it to be. That, and the fact that he didn't ask as many questions as she assumed he would.

If anything, it was due in part to the area that they were in, surrounded by an abundance of students and staff. People who could bear witness to his true personality, or rather the one that he wears behind his death eater mask. All of his money, prestige, and influence stacked neatly on top of each other, as a means of burying whatever genocidal and xenophobic tendencies he has towards muggle borns. The shinier the surface was, the filthier the grim that lay beneath it.

Knowing what she knew (or rather what her parents tried to protect her from) about misogyny in the Wizarding world, Jaime was willing to bet that Lucius was hoping for her to use the port key that he gave her as a means of asking questions of a more "intimate" nature. While he kept up his status as a married man, his status as an aristocrat didn't stop him from flirting with other women; even if they happen to be younger than him. And due to her involvement with Draco, and her status as a pureblood, Lucius would no doubt talk about her to other death eaters as though she were a piece of meat for a pack of hungry dogs.

One more issue to worry about, assuming Draco folds like a house of cards and does nothing to defend her against them. Her train of thought was broken by distinct sound of footsteps ascending from stone stairwell and into the common room. Jaime didn't even look out of her peripheral vision to see who was coming.

"Hey. I managed to grab 5 chocolate frogs, 3 chocolate wands, 2 cases of canary cream, some glacial snowflakes, and your favorite, a loaf of cauldron cake". Said Oliver as he walked over to his sister until he was directly in her line of sight. Jaime glanced at him and the treats he carried in the pockets of his robes. She sat up and rummaged around in his pocket for the aforementioned cauldron cake. Jaime looked up at her brother with a warm smile on her face, and moved over on the couch for him so sit down. Oliver placed the edge of one of the chocolate wands in his mouth and did just that. He placed the rest of the treats on the table in front of them and ate the rest of the chocolate wand in his mouth. While Oliver was content to enjoy the candy in the calmness that filled the common room, he couldn't help but take notice of the sullen look in his sister's eyes, even as she half heartedly ate the cauldron cake.

He was well aware of the fact that it must have something to do with Lucius Malfoy, as well as the fact that his sister had specifically asked him to not interfere. Oliver took this in stride and to the best of his ability tried to keep opinions to himself, but looking at his sister now, he didn't know how much longer he could bite his tongue on this matter. The promise that he made to their father still rang fresh in his mind, and before he could think about it a moment later, he looked to his sister, as he reached for a case of canary cream.

"So did Malfoy Sr. show up today?" He asked. Jaime turned to him with a crumbs worth of cauldron cake in her hand, pausing as she prepared to eat it.

"Yeah he did. As soon as you left to use the bathroom". She said. Now Oliver was on red alert as he stopped in mid reach for one of the canary creams. He opened to mouth to hit his sister with a barrage of questions, but before he could utter a single syllable, Jaime was holding up the bar of chocolate that the Malfoy Patriarch had given her, as well as the portkey that dangled off of her ring finger. She glanced back and forth between the key and her brother, not sure of which was giving her the most trouble to discern.

"He gave me this chocolate as a "reward" for exceling in in my studies and being of a pure blood lineage, like every racist pureblood ever. And this port key as an invitation to Malfoy manner to sip tea and possibly discuss the genocide of the muggle population every Friday and on weekends. Don't worry, I already told him that I have obligations to you and to our family. It seemed good enough to make him shut up". Said Jaime. Her words were meant to be reassuring, but they were also nothing short of cynical and dripping with sarcasm when she mentioned Lucius complimenting her on her pure blood lineage.

Oliver hung on to every word that she'd said, but couldn't even find the brain power to formulate his own. He looked at the black skeleton key, at the candy bar, and back at his sister's unreadable gaze. Jaime's gaze shifted from her brother to the fire burning in the hearth in front of flames danced and moved in a motion that reminded her of people and their own movements. Muggle or magical. They can be the light that cuts through the darkness of another's life, or the flame that destroys everything it comes across. It always came down to a choice, on that could make or break another person's entirely. And right now, Jaime chose to toss the chocolate bar into the fire, and destroy whatever scheme Lucius was trying in set in motion by giving it to her.

Now she could get back to lighting Draco's way through his darkness. She paid no mind to the fact that the aluminum that still covered the chocolate as it melted and sizzled against the log of the fire, and looked back to her brother. He looked at the remaining skeleton key on the table and picked it up gingerly. His expression was now equally unreadable.

"So this portkey will ,what, take you straight to Malfoy Manor to sip tea with the family and possibly other pretentious pure bloods?" He asked. Jaime matched his gaze, one unreadable countenance to another.

"Yes." She said. The potential for yelling at his sister for her carelessness was too high, and so Oliver choose to do the opposite, regardless of how hot headed he is. He exhaled a breath that more than likely was out of anger, took her hand and caressed it under his thumb.

"Are you going to actually use it?" He asked. Before Jaime could give her answer and her reason behind it, Oliver continued. And his tone was laced with unmistakable anxiety.

"I mean Merlin forbid that those arrogant pricks tries to get you to admit that you're a blood traitor and bend to their narrow minded way of thinking. And not to mention that the chances of that candy being laced with poison are pretty high. And whose to say that that port key will actually take you to Malfoy Manor. I'm just saying, you don't know if you're in for a cup of tea, or a death eater initiation". He finished.

Jaime was in no position to argue against her brother's words, hence why she choose not to interrupt him. And everything that he'd mentioned regarding the port key given and the chocolate were things that crossed her mind, during and after the feast, which is why she was so unfocused on her homework. Even if Jaime didn't eat the chocolate it might do her well in the future to use the portkey at least one, lest the Malfoys think that she was a blood traitor who was spitting in the face of their generosity. For the time being her hands were tied until the next time she saw Draco and talked about what they would do. So Jaime resigned herself to a short sigh before turning to meet Oliver's gaze. "The next time I see Draco the two of us will sort something out regarding his father, but I'll be damned if I let him think he's got me in a bind by buying my friendship. If I need you, I'll come without a moments hesitation just-"

"Just let you handle it? Fine. I just hope you know what you're doing." Said Oliver sullenly. That being said, he gathered up a few more pieces of candy, and left to go to the boy's dorms. Jaime hated that her brother didn't have a choice in this mess, but she still she was glad that he wasn't making too big of a fuss about it. She took one last look at the wrapper clad chocolate before tossing it into the still burning hearth of the fireplace.

The extra heat that radiated prompted her to tug on the collar of her shirt. It was uncomfortably warm in the dormitories, despite it being October (that's magic for you) and Jaime was in desperate need of some fresh air to cool her down, particularly after her encounter with Lucius at the feast. She pushed herself off of the couch and headed out of Ravenclaw Tower in no particular direction. She was just rounding a corner when she almost ran right into someone.

"I'm sor-" The apology died on her lips when she realized who it was she'd hit. Realization dawned on Draco's face a second after hers and he pulled her into a tight, bone-crushing hug. He kissed her quickly on the lips and pulled away, still keeping his hands protectively on her shoulders.

"I saw my father talking to you," Draco frantically told her. "Are you alright? What did he talk to you about?"

Jaime blinked, surprised at the torrent of words coming out of Draco's mouth. "I'm fine, Draco," she soothed him. "Your father… He was just asking me about my family, blood status, and whatnot." Catching the concerned look on Draco's face, she rushed to reassure him. "Look, don't worry about it okay? I know what your father is like and I know how to act around him. As far as your father's concerned, I'm a shining example of a proper pureblood girl."

Draco looked dubious and Jaime had to stifle a laugh, swatting him on the arm. "Hey, I can be proper when I want to."

Draco finally cracked a smile and pulled her in for another kiss. This one lasted far longer than the first and Jaime allowed herself to melt into the feeling of Draco's rough lips on her own. Most of the rest of the school were in Diagon Alley to celebrate and the rest were in their respective dormitories, so there was almost no chance of them being interrupted.

A bang from down the hall startled them and they jumped back, both breathing hard. Thankfully, it was just one of the staircases deciding to change again, but it still took Jaime a while to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Look, Jaime, um…" Draco's voice held a tremor of nervousness to it and he gnawed on his lip. "I, er, I didn't come down here on a whim. I wanted to ask you something."

If Jaime had gotten her heart rate back to normal, it didn't matter now because it sped up again at Draco's words. Sweat broke out on her palms and she chided herself for acting so strange. Draco probably just wanted to ask her something completely normal, nothing to get worked up about. So why did he look so nervous?

"I- I realized the other night," Draco began again. "That we, er, that we've never actually been on a proper date. Seeing as my father knows about our relationship now, I asked him if he would get us a table at the Witches Diadem in Diagon Alley. He's very well-known up that end of the street and most shop owners are happy to do him favours like that. We'll have our own private room so there's no chance of us being seen by other students and, anyway, I doubt any of them will go there. So… Will you, Jaime Cressy, go on a date with me?"

He looked at her with those puppy dog eyes of his and Jaime felt her heart melt in her chest. How could she say no? However, something nagged at her in the back of her mind. She'd heard of the Witches Diadem, walked past it even, and she knew it was one of the most high-end restaurants in the Wizarding World. She'd probably stick out like a sore thumb considering she was neither posh nor, despite Lucius's beliefs, proper. Still… Unless she wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks or the Leaky Cauldron and risk their secret relationship being found out and spread round the school, she saw no other option. And the private room Draco had booked for them was such a sweet gesture that she found she didn't have in it her to refuse him. She smiled warmly up at him.

"Of course I'll go on a date with you, Draco Malfoy."

She saw his eyes light up with enthusiasm and bit back a laugh. If only she hadn't have spent so much time hating the guy, maybe she could have found out her nice he was before. Still, they were here now, weren't they?

"Great!" Draco exclaimed, struggling to keep a grin back. "The table is book for noon on the 2nd November. I'll come and pick you up if you want?"

She nodded assent and Draco pulled her in for another quick kiss. He called goodnight to her and then headed back down the hallway, his shoulders considerably less tense than they had been when she'd first ran into him – literally.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Everything had gone smoothly and there was nothing to worry about regarding his father. He knew Jaime would do everything right – she always did – and he knew his father would be pleased by her. He turned down the dark hallway, almost floating with happiness. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to go to bed but he still had one thing left to do.

Bypassing the Slytherin common room entrance, he veered off to the left. He felt the stress and tension return as he walked closer and closer to the Room of Requirement. He knew that, by doing this, he was jeopardizing his relationship with Jaime, but he saw no other option. If he didn't do it, he would be killed and probably Jaime too, considering the extent of the Dark Lord's powers. He would probably drag her name from his dying lips and force him to watch as he struck her down. He suppressed a shiver as he arrived of the seemingly blank wall. As he stood in front of it, black lined began to twist and dance across it until it resembled a door. Draco took a deep breath and pushed the door open.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: As I've said before, this story will be getting slow updates since I'm in college right now, so please be patient with me. In other news, this chapter was co written with me by HollyHobbit 101 and neither of us own any characters associated with Harry Potter.**

The official week for Draco and Jaime's date came faster than either them, or Oliver though it would. And between the three of them, Jaime and Draco made the most of the time that they had; with Jaime using her spare time to shop for an outfit that was opulent enough for the Witches' Diadem, but not enough to break her bank account. Eventually, after an entire two hours of scouting out the restaurant to take notice of what various upper class witches were wearing, Jaime used that knowledge to shop around at every witches' boutique that she could find. She eventually settled on a little black dress that fell tastefully above her knees, ended at her fore arms, and showed little to absolutely no cleavage. To compliment it, she purchased the cheapest golden necklace that she could find, a pair of small black kitten heel shoes, and a bright red pea coat.

Ordinarily, Jaime didn't care too much about shopping for an abundance of girlish clothes like other witches her age, despite her mothers' best efforts. Instead she leaned towards a more tomboyish look with the occasional skirts, deeming that in some cases, boys' clothes were more practical, at least in the muggle world. But the time that she spent observing the opulence that went into designer brands for witches, made her freeze at the daunting realization. Realization that this was just one more situation that required her to fake it until she made it, as the muggle saying goes. That this outfit she comprised was a façade that she was putting on to fit a specific cookie cutter image, until such time that she could break free and live only for herself, Oliver, and possibly Draco. But for the last one to be certain, this date had to go off without a hitch.

As Jaime continued walking around Diagon Alley, purchases in hand, she make a beeline past Knockturn Alley as quickly as her feet would carry her, knowing that it was impossible to reach her next destination without passing the vermin infested area first. Just as she was entering the darkened alley way, she looked out her peripheral vision to see a body leaning against one of the concrete walls of the opening.

Jaime immediately took notice of the fact that it was a bearded man with green eyes, stood at a towering 6'4, and appeared to be in his mid forties. His clothing was dark, but neatly kept, making him out to come from an upper middle class background. That thought alone struck a chord with Jaime as she stopped in her tracks and though back to someone else she knew that had a similar appearance about them.

Someone who helped shape her into the person that she is today. Her body stood frozen in place, but her mind raced back to the past, flashbacking to her 9 year old self in the mountains of Greece, standing in front of a cabin. And standing before her was a man who was on his knees so as to match her height. He had his hands on her shoulders and has his head bowed in a remorseful position. His voice was equally remorseful as he uttered her name. **"Jaime".** The witch snapped out of her flashback in time to see a man completely different to the one that had crossed her line of sight only seconds ago. This man was completely bald with the only visible dark hair being on his lips and chin. It formed a thick mustache but not enough to make a full beard. His brown eyes suddenly turned dark as he looked Jaime up and down with a lascivious gleam that shone behind them.

"Hello, love. Looking for something? I bet I could help you find it." He spoke. Immediately, Jaime coached her features into a mask of disinterest and apathy at the pathetic man before her.

"No". she said cruelly. Without another word she took off down the street to do a little more window shopping before going back to Hogwarts', but not before her ears picked up on the man's slurred voice again.

"You have a good day then, beautiful". He cat called. Jaime blocked him out completely and reverted back to her usual ice, cold disposition. It seems as though being with Draco had thawed her out a bit.

* * *

Meanwhile, the blonde wizard used his time to examine and experiment with the vanishing cabinet that he stumbled upon in the Room of Requirement; one that was completely identical to the one that he was introduced to at Borgin & Burkes, when he was initiation took place. The mere memory of it shook him to his core once he laid on the cabinet again in the darkness of the nearly forgotten Room of Requirement. The experiment began with a single apple placed inside the cabinet, and left to sit for a few days.

Draco doubted that anything would actually happen, but either way he was condemned if he did this, and damned if didn't. He knew that he was past the point of no return, and he was just starting to accept it, even with the severity of the crime that he was being forced to commit. But for the time being, in what little time he had left he wanted to savor what little freedom he had and be there for Jaime. As soon as he was finished, he exited the Room of Requirement and went back to his private dorm to put together a suitable outfit for his and Jaime's date.

By the time the second of November came around, both Jaime and Draco were practically on edge for different reasons. Jaime's worry that she'll fall on her face wearing heels that she spent the remainder of her time practicing walking in. Not to mention that fact that she uncovered in her almost forgotten suitcase, a cameo bracelet that her mother given her on her fifteenth birthday. While Jaime didn't gush over clothes the way other girls did, she had a definite weak spot for delicate pieces of jewelry; and this piece that she received from her late mother was exactly what Jaime liked. It complemented the outfit so well that she decided to remove the necklace completely, and do without it just for tonight; not to mention the overwhelming sense of nostalgia that it gave her. Oliver was reluctant to see her go, but promised to stay out her way. He made good on his promise and decided to laze around in the boys dorms.

Draco because he had to check on the Vanishing Cabinet and triple check with Blaise to make absolutely certain that no students would be on the grounds when he and Jaime would leave and come back. Because they were a bit older than the first through fifth years, they were allowed to leave and entered the castle as they pleased; even if the castle's security detail had been increased. And by the noon had come around, all time seemed to completely stop for the two purebloods.

Jaime stood nervously outside the Ravenclaw common room, twisting her bracelet around her wrist. The corridors were mostly quiet as many students were on their way to Hogsmeade already, but she was getting some odd looks from inquisitive first and second years. She flicked her eyes in each direction every now and then so she would be able to spot Draco coming but he hadn't arrived yet. She supposed it was to be expected; she was early, after all, but she couldn't help but worry that he was going to call it off. He wouldn't do that though. Would he?

A wave of relief washed over her when she saw Draco round the corner and stride towards her. He looked exceptionally handsome in his robes that made his pale face and hair stand out in sharp contrast. A blush rose up her cheeks as he reached her side and pecked her cheek affectionately.

"Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm. Jaime smiled and nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and linked her arm through his. They strolled through the grounds - which were mercifully empty - and into Hogsmeade where they were soon stood outside the grandest restaurant Jaime had ever seen. She stopped and looked up in awe, causing Draco to frown back at her.

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No. I'm just… Wow."

Draco smiled. "Wait until you see inside."

Sure enough, the interior of the Witches Diadem took Jaime's breath away. The walls were tastefully decorated with just the right amount of pictures that they didn't seem overcrowded, unlike Hogwarts. A waiter greeted them at the door and offered to show them to their private room; clearly he recognized Draco. They were led up two flights of stairs to a room at the back of the restaurant. The waiter left telling them to 'enjoys their meals' and 'call if they needed anything' and then they were alone.

A table with two chairs was set out on a balcony overlooking the woods surrounding Hogsmeade. Jaime leant on the railing and let out a sigh of contentment. They were so high up that she could see everything and it was so peaceful. She felt Draco tentatively wrap his arms around her waist and she leant back into the embrace, closing her eyes and resting her head on his chest.

"This is the best first date I've ever been on," she whispered.

"That's a relief," Draco jokingly replied.

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "Not that I've ever been on any dates before but, if I had, this would be the best."

Draco spun her round and kissed her hard. She melted into it for a few seconds before pulling away and laying a finger on his lips. "Later," she admonished. "Don't you think we should at least eat first?"

Draco reluctantly nodded and turned around, pulling her chair out for her before moving round to take his own seat. They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, neither one sure of what to say to the other.

"You look beautiful," Draco offered hesitantly.

"Thank you. And you. I mean, you look very handsome," Jaime stammered out, cursing herself mentally. Fortunately, Draco laughed and thanked her before his expression turned curious and he touched her bracelet.

"This is very pretty. Where did you get it from?"

A lump formed in Jaime's throat as a wave of sadness built inside her. "It was my mother's. It's the only thing of her that I have left now."

Draco's face turned into a mask of guilt and his cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Jaime interjected. "You should know."

"Then… Is it alright if I ask a little more about your family? I know Oliver, of course, and you've met my father, so, if it's okay with you, I'd love to hear about your parents."

Jaime nodded. "My mother came from Greece and she met my father when he was on a visit there with his family. From what I understand, they fell in love quite quickly and they got married in London the next summer. Oliver and I came along a few years later and the four of us lived in the Cressy family home here.

"We were home-schooled for most of our lives and our mother taught us about the muggle lifestyle too. I loved it. I should have known that it would all end someday but even I couldn't have imagined how. I don't know how the fire broke out, only that my parents woke me in the middle of the night, telling me to run and not look back. They sacrificed themselves to save Oliver and I and I will never get the chance to thank them for it."

Jaime bowed her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt a thumb brush against her and looked up to see Draco leaning across the table, concern written all over his face.

"I'm sorry," she began, but didn't get the chance to finish as Draco held a hand up.

"It's okay. I'm… glad you told me this, Jaime. I wish I could help you somehow, but I fear I cannot."

She shook her head and smiled gratefully at him. "You already have, Draco. After the fire I was dead inside. I talked to Oliver and no one else and I spent each day just going through the motions. I hated Hogwarts and I hated life. But then you appeared and somehow – I'm still not entirely sure how – you broke me out of that shell. You made me see, and I love you for that."

Draco stared at her in shock and she began to wonder if she had said anything wrong; she wasn't one for soppy confessions after all. Then he slowly got up and walked round the table to her. He took her face in his hands and gently, carefully, pulled her down so that her lips met his and they kissed and kissed and in that moment it felt like they were the only two people on Earth.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a daze. They ate and talked and laughed and Jaime wondered how she could have ever hated this beautiful, caring boy. As dusk fell, the pair ended up back at Hogwart's sitting on the sofa in Draco's dorm, watching the flames dance and move in the fireplace. Jaime curled up against Draco, resting her head on his shoulder. Every now and then Draco would shift and draw her closer to him, or he would bend down and drop a kiss on the top of her head. When he wasn't looking, Jaime would stare up at him and she felt lighter and freer than she had in months, and she wished that this night would never have to end.

* * *

The next morning found the two purebloods in exactly the same position that they were in last night. Snuggled up against one another ,and sharing body heat since the fire had snuffed itself out in the night. Draco was the first one to awaken since he couldn't afford to be slacking off on a job that could cost him his very life. Still, it was the best sleep that he'd had since his initiation; and he had the witch sleeping on his chest to thank for it. Without waking her up, Draco used one hand to play with the thin strands of hair that fell over Jaime's face, all while supporting his own body on the other. He could tell just by looking at her that she was experiencing a well needed rest as well, ever since the house fire that he told her about over dinner. It was a morbid thing to consider, and while Jaime would hex him into next week if she found out about it, he was glad that it brought her to Hogwarts. Otherwise, the two of them never would have crossed paths. And if they did, the circumstances would have been drastically different.

He would have depicted her as another blood traitor that deserved to meet the end of a death eaters wand; granted she would probably fight tooth and nail to defeat them but either way, it still wouldn't have changed his bigoted opinion of her. But somehow, someway Merlin or whatever higher power was at work, saw fit to bring her into his life, and make her every bit as fragile, and stone cold as he was. Slowly, but surely they managed to thaw each other out, and it made him love her all the more. His only worry, among many others was how to maintain such a state of perfection. Before he could even contemplate the answer to said question, he began to feel the witch on top of him stir from her sleep. Draco continued to watch Jaime with love in his eyes until he looked up for whatever reason, and looked upon a bottle of meade that he had picked up from the Witches' Diadem while Jaime had excused herself to go to the restroom.

It's a good thing that she hadn't noticed it before, but as she began to stir to consciousness, Draco acted quickly and shrunk the bottle to about the size of a galleon. By the time, the spell was complete, Jaime was awake, but it sounded like she didn't want to be. Having hidden the bottle that he needed for later, Draco's gaze shifted back down to her, with a small smile on his lips. The last time that he remembered smiling this much was when Jaime agreed to be with him, their most recent date, and currently this moment right now.

The blonde wizard wanted nothing more than to laze the day away with Jaime by his side, but knowing Oliver, he would probably have a coronary if his sister didn't make an appearance. So he began to shake her awake as gently as humanly possible.

"Jaime. Love, it's time to wake up". he said endearingly. Draco wasn't just saying that to kick her out since he looked at the grandfather clock that sat next the blinds of his room and saw that it read 7:10. Classes for the day began at 8:00 sharp and Draco could imagine by now that Oliver there was rounding up a search party to look for his sister. Jaime recoiled deeper in his chest, not wanting to wake up yet. Draco gently shook her one more time and soon enough her eyelids came open, still laced with fatigue.

"What time is it?" She asked with a voice that was also laced with fatigue. Draco glanced back at the clock and saw that it was now 7:12; two minutes gone by. But it was probably more than enough time to make a pot of tea for the both of them.

"Its' just after 7. We have an hour until classes start. Just enough time for a cup of tea and before your brother rounds up a search party to find you". He said jokingly. Somehow the tone of his voice, made a small smile form on Jaime's face as she moved to get up from the couch and go the bathroom. But before she could take another step, another, more important thought crossed her mind.

"I know it's only been the first date, but as you can imagine I didn't really bring a spare change of clothes to wear for sleeping over. Do you mind if I borrow something of yours? I can always change the logo from Slytherin to Ravenclaw and transfigure the pants into a skirt". She explained. Draco merely looked at her with his hands behind his head and a smile that matched Jaime's earlier one.

"I'll have everything ready for you when you're finished". He said. Jaime gave a small nod in thanks and headed for the bathroom. As she reached the threshold, Draco's voice called out to her.

"There's extra toothbrushes and towels in a basket underneath the sink. You can use the bubble bath if you want to. It's the cream colored tap". He said. With that, Jaime stepped into the lily white bathroom and prepared for the day. Meanwhile, Draco took another moment to lounge back on the couch and bask in the happiness that coursed through him; happiness at how successful the date had gone and how successful he was at earning Jaime's affection. Of course, he would have to work hard to keep it, but anything was better than losing her for good. She was suffering just as much as she was. But Draco's moment in nostalgia was broken by the sight of the bottle of meade in his peripheral vision. His small smile slowly melted off of his face until a frown was all that remained. He had half a mind to toss it out the window and let it crash onto the pavement, but he quickly abandoned that thought at the sound of the shower running from inside the bathroom.

As quick a golden snitch, he jumped off of the couch, opened his wardrobe to pull out a pair of black pants, a button down white shirt, a dark grey vest, and a black robe; and even a pair of black socks to go with the skirt. Once he found his wand in the pocket of last night's coat, he transfigured the pants into a skirt as per Jaime's request and changed the Slytherin crest on the robe into that of a Ravenclaw. He was even courteous enough to transfigure a pair matching bra and panty set from the black drapes that he tore off. By the time Jaime came out of the bathroom, the outfit was completed and so was Draco's tampering with the bottle of meade that was no longer in sight. He now stood in the small kitchen adjacent to the living room, with his back to Jaime preparing a tea tray with a bowl of sugar and creamer, a small teapot, and two cups with saucers; all of which were decorated in the standard Slytherin colors.

As feminine as it looked, it was a gift from his mother in the event that he brought company back to his room for a study session. Draco had heard the bathroom door when it opened and had sense enough to know that the only thing that could be covering Jaime's body was a large towel. So he looked out of his peripheral vision and tilted his head towards the clothes he'd left for her.

"Hi there. The clothes are right there for you. Once you're dressed, we can sit down for a quick cup of tea". He said. He could hear soft footsteps as she picked up the clothes and went back into the bathroom to get changed. A brief thank you could be heard before the door closed again. Draco knew that it was only a matter of time before Jaime layed into him for the assumed choice of undergarments that he fashioned out of his own silk curtains. In his defense, he tried to make them look as innocent as possible. But he decided to worry about it when it arose. Just as he would, should someone trace the bottle back to him and interfere with his plans.

The though alone made his hands tremble. By the time, the bathroom door opened again, Jaime was fully dressed and sitting on the couch, unsure of what to do; the look in her eyes was sullen as thought there was something the back of her mind that she was screaming to get off of her chest. Draco saw this and used the opportunity to bring the tea over to where she sat and pour them each a cup. He even took the liberty of bringing out a few pieces of toast for them to munch on. It was almost 7:30 the last time he looked at the clock.

"We probably won't have enough time to eat breakfast in the Great Hall, so I brought this for the both of us" He said warmly. Jaime slowly turned her head to look at him, the sullen look slowly melted away, but it still lingered a little bit; it was even accompanied by a small smile.

"Thank you. I appreciate it". She said. With that, Draco set an ornate tea cup and saucer in front of her. On the side of the saucer, he placed two pieces of toast for her to eat.

"How much sugar do you want? Do you take any cream?" asked Draco as he prepared his own cup. As opposed to letting him prepare her cup for her, Jaime reached for the sugar and creamer herself and poured in three sugar cubes and a little amount of cream.

"It's fine. You've done enough already. By the way, interesting choice of unmentionables". I'm guessing they came from your curtains?" She asked. It wasn't the way she said it that caught Draco by surprise, but the way she didn't say it. Ordinarily, girls would jump down guy's throats at the act of having their undergarments chosen for them. But Draco had to keep reminding himself that Jaime was nothing like other girls. He was learning this as he climbed over the walls that she built around herself. He continue to contemplate this as he nervously reached for his own cup of tea and took a tentative sip.

"Well...Yes. I thought you probably didn't want to start the day wearing undergarments from the last night, and the idea of going bare must be appalling so I..." He trailed off nervously. But in Draco's own defense it really was better than going bare, which he observed other girls in Slytherin do when they were about to rendezvous with a guy. Such behavior was too repulsive for someone as singular as Jaime to be subjected to. Luckily, he prevented himself from bringing up that fact and decided to leave it as is. He looked back at the aforementioned witch as she sipped her tea in complete tranquility.

"Well, it seems like you've thought of everything haven't you?" She said playfully. So playfully that it surprised, it not shocked Draco seeing this was only the second time that she did anything jokingly, but he still wasn't used to it. However, that didn't mean he didn't secretly enjoy it. Jaime always looked so sullen, even when she was smiling.

"Not everything. I still haven't convinced your brother that I'm worthy enough to be with you. Do you have any idea how I may remedy that?" He asked half jokingly and half serious. Jaime merely shook her head before taking a longer sip of tea and then responding.

"I'll deal with Oliver. For the time being, you just focus on keeping your head on your shoulders and not on the end of someone's wand". She said. Once again, the sullen atmosphere had returned to taunt the blonde wizard. Draco would have been a fool to not know what and who Jaime was referring to.

"You're right. As always." He responded also half joking and half seriously. With that, the two purebloods enjoyed a quick but pleasant breakfast. Of course, the rule that Jaime set up about their relationship being a secret was still in place. In some cases, this was a secret that Draco cherished for dear life instead of feared.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I knw it's been an eternity since this story has received any updates, but now that I've completed my first year of college, I should have more time to write. But since I don't really have an update schedule, slow updates are to be expected for the time being, so I ask that you all please be patient with me. In other news, this chapter will kind of be all over the place for reasons, and was co written with me by HollyHobbit101. Be sure to take a look at her works and as such a** **ll characters associated with Harry Potter do not belong to me but to J.K. Rowling. The only characters I claim ownership of are Jaime and Oliver.**

 **In the previous chapter:** Of course, the rule that Jaime set up about their relationship being a secret was still in place. In some cases, this was a secret that Draco cherished for dear life instead of feared.

* * *

 **Now:** By the time, Jaime and Draco left his room and rejoined the rest of the Hogwart's student body, it was time for first period and they made their way down to their separate classes. He went to potions and she went to Divination; where she found her brother waiting for her. The rest of the class knew that Trelwaney was going to be late, so Oliver had no problem firing questions at his sister the second she sat down next to him.

"Well, what happened? Where did you two go? Did anyone from school see you two together? Did he try anything on you? Spill!" He spoke quickly. Jaime was slightly taken aback by the abruptness that her brother unleashed on her, but she knew that he had every right to be worried. She didn't exactly plan on staying the night in Draco's room after their date.

"Calm down, Ol. As you can see, I'm still in one piece. No one from the school saw us, we went to this restaurant called The Witch's Diadem; pretty high class place for the most part, and no he didn't try anything on me. Just the opposite, he was a perfect gentleman". She explained. Oliver appeared to be hanging on to every word that she was saying, as though they were her lasts but still waiting for the moment when she gave the news that Draco overstepped his boundaries and tried to hurt her. But by the end of her explanation, no such news had come. Still Oliver continued his barrage of questions.

"Are you sure? Then how come you never came back to the Ravenclaw dorms last night?" By his next question, Oliver's voice grew louder and more nervous; and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Did the two of you sleep together, and on the first date!?" By now, a few students in the room looked suspiciously in the direction of the normally tight knitted siblings. Jaime saw this and immediately stomped on her brother's foot silencing him, despite the grunt of pain that he made. When he looked back at his sister's face, the expression she wore said that she was more than willing to kick him again; and just like that, Oliver was quiet once more. Jaime took this as her cue to continue and did just that.

"No. We didn't sleep together, and I'm not even going to ask what you know about sleeping with someone after only one date. We lost track of time and by the time we got back to Hogwarts it was too late, and Draco let me sleep on the couch in his room. That was it. No clothes were removed aide from our jackets, no seduction was attempted, and with the exception of a few kisses, we never slept together". She said. Oliver was silent throughout his sister's explanation, but his silence did nothing to stop the wideness that his eyes still held; especially when Jaime had told of her kiss with the blonde wizard.

"And you're absolutely sure that that's all that happened?" He asked less worried than before. Jaime let out a short sigh of exasperation as a small smile stretched across her lips. Ordinarily, the older siblings would be the ones interrogating their brothers or sisters for information, but it looked like Oliver was dedicated to upholding his promise to their father. And so far he was doing a good job of it. That was reason enough for Jaime to smile the way she did.

"Yes. Positive. Now is there anything that you'd like to share about your time alone in the dorms while I was gone?" She asked, smile still tugging on her lips. Jaime was half expecting for some kind of embarrassment or reluctance to radiate from her brother, since between the two of them she couldn't have been the only one out and about. So it was only fair to ask. But Oliver merely shook his head in the negative before answering.

"No. Not much of anything happened while you were gone. Did my homework, slept off and on, but nothing consistent especially with a fire smoldering in the fire place directly near my bed". He said solemnly. Jaime stayed silent at that last statement. She didn't need to respond, knowing how difficult it was for her brother to be around fie, even if it was seconds away from smoldering. There really weren't any words to be said that could alleviate her brother's worries at the moment, so Jaime simply placed her hand over his and caressed the skin of his fingers with the pad of her thumb. Eventually Trelawney entered the room and class began.

* * *

Draco stood amongst the other Slytherins in the new potions room listening to their new potions master Horace Slughorn drone on about the concoctions that he had prepared before class had started; with his eyes facing the ground, the blonde wizard stood stoically letting the Professors lecture flow into and ear and leave out the other. Mixed in with the Slytherins were a few Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs; all of whom annoyed him to no end; all of whom were oblivious to the fact that their impending demise will come with the death of their beloved head master. It was only the first class of the day, and already Draco was in a state of utter indifference and dismay.

His mood may have been happy and serene earlier that day, but now all he could think of was how much of a relief it would be to poison the whole pack of students and teachers that he despised with the bottle of mead that he had stashed away inside his robes when he and Jaime left his room. He would poison the whole Hogwarts student if it meant that he and Jaime were the only ones who remained. He could only hope that she was having a better class than he was right now. Draco train of though was broken at the sound of Slughorn's explanation in regards to the vial of Felix Felicis that he was displaying. Specifically the part about any and all endeavours succeeding after just one sip. Now that was definitely something worth listening to; all of a sudden his ambition came back full force and was centered on having that vile for himself.

As soon as Slughorn gave the okay to begin brewing, Draco gathered his ingredients and put everything he had into making a perfect cauldron full of living death, not even looking up to see one of the ingredients go whizzing past Blaise and Goyle's heads. He followed the ingredients to the letter; so much so that his nearly finished product was probably equal to Grangers. But out of his peripheral vision, he could see Harry go up tp Slughorn, cauldron in hand and an annoyingly confident smile on his face. This only served to make the blond wizard impatient and frustrated as he hurried through the rest of his potion. Truthfully, he was surprised that it wasn't Granger going up there. But based on the gleeful expression that was beginning to form on Slughorn's face, Draco's chances of getting the desired vial of Felix Felicis were slim. Even Slughorn's tone of voice contained an equal amount of joviality.

"Come everyone. Let's see what Mr. Potter has created". He said. The rest of the class abandoned their cauldrons to gather around the student and the professor, but Draco lagged behind all of them only to end up next to Blaise who wore his usual look of indifference. Meanwhile, the blonde wizard could only scowl at the bespectacled Gryffindor. He watched Slughorn take a feather from the cap on his head and let it fall into the cauldron. From where he was standing, he couldn't see what happened to the feather, but the jovial expression on Slughorn's face was explanation enough.

"Merlin's beard, it's perfect. So perfect, I dare say one drop would kill us all. So hear it is, as promised one vial of Felix Felicis. Congratulations. Use it well." Said Slughorn happily as he handed it to the smirking Gryffindor. Upon hearing this, the rest of the class wore either grimaces, frowns, or in Draco's case a deep scowl. But this wasn't the time to relent about what was lost. All that mattered was accomplishing what would come in the future and making sure his tracks were covered. This was his one and only train of thought as he walked out of the room and deviated from the rest of the class, bottle of meade tucked away deep in his robe.

* * *

Just like the months prior to now, Jaime's days passed by in a haze of sleep deprived nights, small daily meals, and of course recurring magical lectures that she remembers her parents teaching her when she was small. The only real ripples that came in the ocean of endless monotony were 1) meeting the overly jovial potions master that would be replacing Professor Snape ;who showered her with compliments regarding her skills at potion making 2)One of her transfiguration classes being canceled because a student was poisoned and Professor Mcgonagall had to write to their family to tell what happened, and 3) a letter from Olenna Reiss, her great grandmother and the head of her late mother's family currently residing in Greece.

 ** _My dearest Jaime_**

 ** _My darling girl. I write this letter in the hopes to inquire about yours and your brother's health and to request your presence in Alexandria for the holiday season. I know that this may come as an abrupt and unexpected, but I write this letter in the hopes that we can reconcile whatever differences have been smoldering since your departure to Hogwarts. I truly want there to be not an ounce of bad blood between any of us; as you well know family is the only thing we truly have to rely on in these times. Please relay this letter to your brother if he hasn't already seen it. Hope to see you two over the Christmas vacation so that we can catch up and talk things over. Love always to you and Oliver._**

 ** _Yours truly,_**

 ** _Olenna Reiss._**

Jaime scanned over the letter a dozen more times to make sure that what she the words she was reading were genuine in black and white writing. That this letter was a real physical attempt by her great grandmother at trying to reach out to her descendants. But why now after a full three months of nothing? No previous letters, no goodbye cards, not even a messenger sent to relay any previous news about family gatherings. Again and again, she stared at the letter, pure confusion written all over her face. For as long as Jaime could remember, Olenna had cherished and spoiled her and Oliver as a great grandmother would. Never yelled at her or even scolded her whenever Jaime misbehaved on minor occasions. But even at a young age, Jaime could read situations well enough to tell that Olenna's mask of joviality was a cover up for something that ate away at her. Something that brought her an enormous amount of grief that she wouldn't tell anyone, not even her children or grandchildren.

And great grand children were no different. And after the fire, it was as if she decided to hold her cards closer to her chest and instead of coming to her family's aid when they needed her the most, she sent them away to continue an education that neither of them actually need. In a sense, Jaime resented her for this but now she was more conflicted than anything. Even with all the good that's been happening between her and Draco there was still this overwhelming sense of strain and confliction that surrounded her. Obviously, she was putting on a brave face for Oliver, who was coping better than she was but if Jaime did end up showing this to him he'd either want to write Olenna back, be just as incredulous as she was, or start packing up his stuff for a Christmas vacation that was almost an entire month away; leaving her to rip it up and pretend it never arrived in the first place.

His own emotional range would span from a combined mixture of shock and surprise into anxiety and finally barely concealed excitement at the prospect of going back to Greece. Granted, they could stay in the castle if they wanted to, but Oliver would have none of it, older sibling or not. And speaking of siblings, hers walked right into the common room slinging his bag onto the seat next to his sister; a small smile on his face.

"Hi. How was your day?" He asked. It didn't take long for him to notice the letter in his sister's hand as he gave a brief eye roll.

"That another letter from your lover?" He asked exaggeratedly not giving Jaime a chance to answer. "Does he want you to use the portkey from Malfoy Sr. to go to the Manor and sip tea with his mother?" Jaime merely tossed the letter at him as though it were a throwing star before answering exasperatedly.

"Oh, we'll be sipping tea all right, but it won't be with the Malfoys thankfully". She silently watched as he expressions warped and changed while reading the letter, just as she predicted that they would and when he finally spoke, he sounded just as unsure as his sister was.

"Is this real? Why after all this time? How can we be sure that it's really her?" He asked. Jaime briefly shook her head and motioned towards the letter.

"Because no one in all of Wizarding Greece, not even the Wizarding world knows about the family estate in Alexandria expect for immediate family members. In this case, the immediate family members are us". She said. Oliver let the letter dangle between his thumb and forefinger looking unsure of what to feel or do; just as Jaime predicted he would. He was just as incredulous as she was. But what she didn't expect was the prolonged silence that came from her brother.

"You know we'd be directly defying her if we did this, but we could technically stay in the castle over the Christmas break". Jaime said reassuringly. Oliver glanced at his sister before glancing back down at the letter in his finger tips.

"No. Don't worry about it. To be honest, I've been wanting to get in contact with the rest of the family for quite some time now. But I could never work up the nerve to sit down and write the damn letter. Every excuse that I came up seemed to push me further and further away from the task at hand. Pathetic I know." He said solemnly. At this, Jaime stood up and silently approached her brother, taking the letter from him before he could let it fall to the ground. Looks like her predictions were off by quite a bit.

"Hey. It's fine however it is. And as soon as we see Olenna, we're going to get the answers we deserve." She said determined. Determined to get answers for the both of them and to probe at whatever has been eating at Olenna for all these years. Whatever it was, Jaime had an inkling that it had something to do with sending them away to Hogwarts. With that, Oliver smiled fondly at his sister and opted for a much needed subject change.

"By the way, I need some help with my Herbology paper. It's already written but could use some fine tuning. Could spare some time?" He asked. Jaime returned her brother's smile and gestured towards one of the desks in the common room.

"Sure. Grab a sit and let's give it a look and see what we can do". She said.

* * *

The Hog's head was well known in the underbelly of the Wizarding London for it's ill repute reputation and reprehensible patrons who took solace in each other's company as opposed to the majority of the population that would otherwise shun and sneer at them. And while, he was technically one of these reprehensible wizards, the Malfoy Patriarch was less than impressed by the setting he found himself in.

Lucius sneered distastefully at the man sitting opposite him. Of all the places to meet, The Hog's Head would have been at the bottom of his list. He had offered a dinner at Malfoy Manor, but his companion had been insistent upon meeting here. He sighed loudly and took a delicate sip of his fire whiskey, grimacing as it burned his throat.

"Well? What is it you wanted to discuss?"

The man considered Lucius for a moment, swirling his glass infuriatingly. "Your son," he said, meeting Lucius's eyes. "He is stalling."

Lucius shifted uncomfortably under the man's penetrating gaze. "I'm sure Draco will act soon," he replied stiffly.

"No. Our sources inside the castle suggest he has not begun an attempt on Dumbledore's life and he does not appear to have any plans to do so any time soon."

"I-"

"Time is ticking, Lucius. Dumbledore must die."

"I realise this. I will speak with Draco."

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two men. The stranger studied Lucius under heavy-lidded eyes. He downed his drink and sat forward, resting his arms on the sticky table.

"You know, Lucius, people are beginning to question your loyalties. And Draco isn't exactly helping matters now, is he? Unless you think that you will be able to break his deal?"

"Of course not-"

"Because that will have consequences."

"I am aware of that, as, I am certain, is my son."

"Of course," he purred. "I don't suppose you have any idea what might be causing this behavior?"

"No. My son has been showing some interest in a girl recently, but I have already met with her; she poses no threat to our plans."

"A girl, you say? Do tell."

"A Ravenclaw, Jaime Cressy, I believe her name is. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged and smiled cryptically. "Call it morbid curiosity. How long?"

"I am uncertain," Lucius slowly answered. "A few months at least. I met with her at Halloween."

He nodded and reached across the table, grabbing Lucius's mostly full glass and tipping the contents down his throat. "Thank you, Lucius. This has been most informative, but I must be off now. The Dark Lord waits for no one."

The man stood and apparated away, leaving Lucius alone in the busy bar.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer:** **I'm awake, I'm alive, and I know that I should make more time to write. But because my update schedule is non existent, this story will be getting slow, inconsistent updates, so to everyone who is following this story, please be patient with me. In other news, this chapter was co written with me by HollyHobbit101 and neither of us own Harry Potter or the characters associated with it. Also, trigger warning: this chapter contains minor mentions of gang rape and breeding slaves, so keep an eye out for that. **

**In the previous chapter:** "Thank you, Lucius. This has been most informative, but I must be off now. The Dark Lord waits for no one."

The man stood and apparated away, leaving Lucius alone in the busy bar.

* * *

 **Now:** Time once again passed the Cressy siblings by in a haze of monotony so fast you would think a time turner was used. November came and went and the relationship between Jaime and Draco, while still secret brought the two of them a great amount of comfort during their time in the castle. In the dead of night, the two of them would sneak away from their dorms to meet in some hidden part of the castle that Draco knew about better than she did and spend an unspecified amount of time in a passionate lip lock; in between which Draco would whisper sweet nothings in her ear and promise to send her an abundance of presents for the coming holiday season.

Ironic considering it was only the first week of December and she was under the assumption that given his predicament, the holidays would be the last thing on Draco's mind. They certainly wasn't far from Jaime's given the contents of the letter; this was the train of though that plagued Jaime's mind as she partially sat in Draco's lap while they engaged in a passionate lip lock in sanctuary of the Astronomy Tower.

Their uniforms were long forgotten and only their pajamas served as the thin barriers between them and bouts of heavy petting. But Jaime had long since let up on her attempt to dominate the kiss and instead let Draco take control; something that he wasn't used to as he preferred an equal amount of domination and submission from her as far these rendezvous were concerned. So naturally, it didn't take long for him to notice that something was off.

"Is something the matter? You're awfully submissive tonight". He said half joking ,half serious. But the look on her face told him that she wasn't in the mood to laugh with him.

"Hell Jaime, is something really wrong? Did something happen?" He asked. More concerned than before. She merely shook her head and looked out at the dark, star filled sky that lay over them, eyes glazed with uncertainty.

"Well it's nothing that you can help me with. Mainly because it's family business. My great grandmother, after three months of no communication wants me and Oliver to grace her our presence over the holidays". She said wryly. Draco merely furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding what the problem could be. If he had his way, he would drop out of school and live out the rest of his adolescence with his mother in his family's villa in France. And seeing as how Oliver seemed to be the only immediate family that Jaime confided in, Draco figured that the chance to be reunited with other family members would have elated her. Especially given the circumstances that led to her being at Hogwarts in the first place.

"Well, I get that that's a long time to not speak to one another, but shouldn't it be a happy occasion? Especially around the holidays?". He asked. For what felt like the umpteenth time that day, Jaime found herself shaking her head in discontent and confusion.

"I wish it were that simple, but people can change over the course of three months. Look at me and you". She responded. Draco was well aware of the change that Jaime had made upon meeting him, but certain traits still remained. Namely, her cynicism and pessimism. Nonetheless, he raised his eyebrows in agreement before answering.

"True. And for what it's worth, you've done me a world of good too. Before meeting you, I was crushed under the weight of all the stress and responsibility that I was under; no one wanted to help me out of fear of getting crushed themselves. And lo and behold I meet someone with similar circumstances, who's a beautiful witch and after a painstakingly long time, has agreed to share her nights with me in secret." He said. The last half of his statement held a flirtatious undertone, which earned him a slight slap to the head. Give the chuckle that Jaime gave afterwards, he knew that he was in the clear; however he was still curious about her family situation and wanted to at least try to help.

"But at the very least, you should hear her out. I know that that's not a lot coming from a person with my family issues, but for all of your circumstances, at least you know she's around and she wants to connect with you. That's a whole lot better than what I have to look forward to when I have to go back to the manor even with my mother around". He said trying to level with her. Jaime held his gaze throughout his statement, yet still she sat unsure and at a loss as to how to approach the whole situation. This wasn't something that she could combat by way of wits or magic. This was a predicament that required her being as a person, not as a witch.

She exhaled a sigh and moved to stand up, pacing the floor of the Astronomy Tower. Draco watched her with concern as well as enchantment. He was well aware of the fact that she could take care of herself, but given his circumstances, even he was humbled enough to admit when he needed help. Jaime need only say the words and he would pull whatever strings he could to help her. Finally after pacing the hard wooden floor for a good three minutes, she turned back to join Draco who'd adjusted his body to be more comfortable on the ground. With a microscopic smile on her lips, she bent down to his level and very quickly pressed her lips to his.

"Alright. I'll go. Just to reconcile and see if anything has changed". She said. Draco now copied her smile with a bigger one of his own and pulled her into his arms for a hard but passionate kiss.

* * *

Christmas vacation was now less than a week away and just as it was on Halloween, the entire castle was covered from floor to ceiling in festive decorations. Garlands draped in bright red bows covered every window so that not a single pane of glad was left bare. Red and white stockings greatly stood out as they were nailed to the tree bark brown wood of the castle walls. Christmas trees both big and small were decorated in lights and living figurines and were placed in every nook and crannie that could be found in the castle. Well, the ones that were in plain sight at least. And any walls that were not brown; that were cream colored were draped excessively with candy canes, edible of course to any students who wanted one.

In between classes, students could be heard excitedly talking about the gifts that they were anticipating, the places they planned to go with family members and what gifts they would give to the fellow students they crushed on. The teachers that were feeling lenient for the holidays decided to let the student play games during class hours, and the meals that were eaten in between classes were extravagantly decorated and looked as good as they tasted; among the sumptuous spread of food was plum puddings drizzled in a light layer of custard cream, warm bread that was baked to soft finish and broke apart easily when desired, miniature turkeys baked to a beautiful golden brown, and Neapolitan trifles that were well complimented by the abundance of strawberries inside it.

The feast was once again attended by both the staff of teachers as well as the 12 school governors; and as such Lucius Malfoy was among them. While he appeared to be conversing with the other governors, he was actually keeping a watchful eye out for his son at the Slytherin table as well as the witch from Ravenclaw that occupied his attention. Jaime was well aware of this, despite her best attempts at eating the truffle in front of her. Even with Oliver and Draco seated near her, it was difficult to ignore the older Malfoy's penetrating gaze. From where she was seated, she could see Draco wearing a similar anxious expression on his face. He didn't even try to meet Jaime's gaze, despite the fact that he knew it was there. Oliver noticed the despondent look on his sister's face and took her hand in his to console her.

"Hey, I get that you're still wary of Malfoy Sr., but just for today can you let it go and stay focused on the issue at hand? And by issue I mean as to whether or not you're going to eat your truffles. Come on, I'm going to pretend you said yes and eat your share if don't speak up now". He said in a sing song tone. From across the table, Cho joined in the conversation.

"I'd listen to him if I were you Jaime. I know it's none of my business, but these truffles are going fast". She said half joking and half serious. Try as she might to take her situation seriously, Jaime chuckled and briefly shook her head. She dumped the rest of her truffles onto Oliver's plate and went to refill her own.

"Are you all packed for the trip?" She asked. Oliver took a small bite out of the truffle in his hand before answering his sister.

"Yeah. For the most part. Do you have a port key that'll get us there?" He asked. Jaime nodded her head in earnest and cut herself a slice of mince meat pie. Compared to her and Oliver, Draco hardly touched his food.

"Yeah". I've set it to activate at exactly 5PM. That gives us enough time to go to final classes, double check our luggage, and maybe have one more meal before going all the way over there. After all, there's no way of knowing whether or not Olenna has food prepared for us". Said Jaime. Oliver shook his head as Cho observed the two of them with curious eyes.

"Olenna? Is she family?" Asked Cho. The Cressy Siblings turned to look at Cho as though they were seeing her for the first time. But it was Jaime who answered her.

"Yeah. Our great great grandmother. She got in touch and wants us to spend this Christmas with her. There was no need to tell her the whole story, so Jaime left out a few details that were really none of Cho's business. But from next to Cho, Luna decided to chime in for whatever reason.

"It's always good to see family members. Distant ones especially. You never know what kind of lives they live when you don't keep in contact with them". She said dreamily. While the siblings looked at her with wide eyes and surprised faces, Cho merely looked at her with eyes of casual observation. Seeing as how she was in House Ravenclaw longer than Jaime and Oliver, Cho knew that this was standard Luna Lovegood behavior. Unfortunately, the Cressy siblings had yet to fully understand the blonde witch and merely looked at her like two fishes out of water. In an attempt to avoid further awkward silence, Cho turned to Luna and changed the subject entirely.

"Speaking of family, is your dad publishing anything new for the Quibbler this year? Maybe a holiday editorial or something?" asked Cho. Luna was all to happy to respond and the two of them went ahead with their own conversation. Meanwhile, Jaime and Oliver came down from their states of shock and collectively decided that Luna Lovegood was to be given a wide berth. But when Jaime looked out at the Slytherin table, she saw that Draco was getting up to leave. She contemplated following him, but knew full well that Lucius was still keeping a watchful eye on her. Ignoring her brother who was downing another glass of pumpkin juice, she saw that the Malfoy Patriarch was well aware of the fact that his son had left, only this time he looked as though he was wearing a smirk to match his richly decorated robes.

The sight alone made her shudder as she contemplated how things would have turned had she not resonated so well Draco. As far as mentally and emotionally, they were two of a kind. And in her heart of hearts, Jaime owed it to him for helping to ease her grieving. With this in mind, Jaime excused herself to go to the bathroom, exited the Great Hall, and quietly followed behind the blonde wizard.

* * *

Draco leant against the balcony railing, gripping it tight with both hands, and turned his face up to the sky. Fresh snowflakes melted into water droplets as they landed and the cold winter wind bit at him despite his many layers, but he paid it no need. It was quiet on the balcony and it gave him time and space to think about everything that had happened and was going to happen. About his father and his expectations, about his family's failing reputation that he had to recover, about Dumbledore and Draco's mission. About Jaime. Lovely Jaime, who had no idea he was a would-be murderer. He'd have to tell her at some point.

Footsteps crunched in the snow behind him and Draco half-turned to face Jaime as she joined him and wrapped an arm round his waist. She turned her face towards him and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, and Draco closed his eyes and leant into the touch before moving away to look at her. Her face was flushed from the cold and the corners of her lips were tilted upwards in a small, sad smile.

"I'm sorry I have to leave," she started, sighing softly as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It's okay. I'll miss you while you are away but I'll be here when you return."

"Yeah, but… Look, we're not exactly close with our great grandmother. Well, not recently anyway. But she was good to us when we were young and I can't turn her down."

"I understand. If I were in your place, I would do the same. She is your family after all."

"I'll miss you."

"And I you. Before you leave, however, I do have a little something for you." Draco pulled away from Jaime and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small package neatly wrapped in silver paper. Jaime opened it slowly and Draco held his breath, desperately hoping he had made the right choice in gift.

Jaime opened the box and stepped back in surprise as an enchanted origami bird exploded from it. She watched in wonder as it flew a lap around her and then settled in her palm, staring for a moment before reaching out and opening the flap. It read:

 ** _My dear Jaime_**

 ** _I was unsure as to what to get you for our first Christmas together. Then I remembered the very first gift I ever gave you which, as I recall, was well received, although we weren't exactly friendly at the time. I hope that this will remind you of me when you are away and perhaps you will lend a thought to me as I will you. You are a talented, enigmatic, beautiful witch and I am privileged that you chose me. I wish you a very merry Christmas and I hope you and your brother enjoy your time with your great grandmother._**

 ** _Yours,_**

 ** _Draco._**

Jaime's free hand had drifted to her mouth as she read the letter and Draco could see tears glimmering in her eyes. She shakily reached to the hidden pocket at the bottom and pulled it open, laughing as a handful of coffee beans fell into her palm. Draco breathed a sigh of relief, his fears allayed, and smiled nervously at her.

"Is it… alright?" he asked tentatively.

Jaime carefully refolded the bird and tucked it securely into her pocket before looking up at Draco and smiling widely. She stepped forward so that there were mere centimeters between them at looked into his eyes.

"More than alright," she whispered, before leaning in and kissing him hard on the lips. Draco returned the kiss just as fiercely and wrapped his hands around her, tangling them in her long, black hair. The heat of it warmed him from the inside out and he forgot all of his fears and worries, just letting himself be free with the girl that he loved.

* * *

The following week, the castle was ablaze with students, who were either leaving early or still in the midst of packing their stuff. In the case of Jaime and Oliver, they were having breakfast in the Great Hall. Compared the feast that teeming with noise, the setting for today was quite and peaceful as there weren't too many students to be found. Jaime had long since eaten her food and was reading over her latest homework assignment, while Oliver was spreading butter on a piece of toast. He glanced at his sister and noticed the far away look in her eyes as she read the words on the parchment. And he had a pretty good idea what was the cause behind it.

"Did you get to see your boyfriend yesterday?" He asked half joking and half serious. While he was still reluctant to the though of his sister dating Draco Malfoy of all people, she hasn't made any indications so far that he was mistreating her; even though he was still skeptical about her spending the night in his room. But until a situation came up that truly endangered Jaime's life, Oliver was inclined to sit this one out. She may not look it, but Jaime was stronger and more clever than she looked. His aforementioned sister gave a small smirk to his question and set her quill down.

"Yeah. I did. He even gave me an early Christmas gift. A paper bird filled with coffee beans. Just like the one he gave me when we first starting out". She said casually. To this Oliver raised his eyebrows in surprise and briefly set his toast back down.

"Seriously? I was half expecting to give you something a tad more expensive. Not like he wouldn't be able to afford it". He said. To this Jaime shook her head and turned back to her writing.

"We made it clear when we started dating that under no circumstances was he to shower me with his money, status, or basically anything that would put a spotlight on the two of us". She said. Oliver shook his head in understanding and went back to his food.

"Sounds fair. Most girls who score with a Malfoy would want the opposite dating experience, but you just turned that stigma around completely". He said. Jaime merely raised one of her eyebrows in nonchalant matter and glanced over at the Slytherin table hoping to catch the eye of a certain blonde wizard but to her enormous surprise, he was nowhere to be found. At this, Jaime's eyebrows raised in surprise and turned back to her food and her brother.

"In any case, finish eating so that we can finish getting ready". Said Jaime turning back to her work.

* * *

Draco walked down the vacant hallways of the castle with cautious steps, trying his best to hide his building anxiety. Everyday that he had to go back to the Room of Requirement was another painful reminder of the burden placed on his shoulders. And as much as it pained him to admit it, no amount of late night kisses between him and Jaime would make the anxiety go away; even with his pep talk to her to consider seeing her family. If anything, he slightly envied her the fact that she had family that she could confide in. Nonetheless, every moment that he spent without her felt like it was going to be his last. It wouldn't have been so bad if not for what happened after that passionate kiss that they shared on the balcony that night.

* * *

After their parting kiss and making sure that Jaime was out of sight, the blonde wizard quietly made his way back inside the castle and down a corridor where he knew the new potions master Professor Slughorn was having some kind of party. From what Blaise told him, it was for something called The Slug Club. As far as Draco was concerned, it was just another teacher's pet club for brown nosers and ass kissers. As Draco drew closer to where the party was being held, he could hear the music growing nearer and decided to duck into a nearby corridor so as not to be seen by any passing students or staff. He sat on the stone steps and contemplated what exactly his next move would be. Its not as if he could charge in there, wand blazing.

If experience has shown, subtlety and discretion were pretty much the only options available to him. And by subtlety and discretion, Draco was referring to the bottle of meade that he set up as a gift to Dumbledore. But somehow it ended up with Slughorn and was consumed by that damned Weasel. And if that wasn't bad enough, the teachers; specifically Mcgonagal, Slughorn, and Dumbledore found the bottle and the poison contained therein. Then, there was the hex he placed on that Gryffindor tart, Katie Bell hoping that she'd deliver a cursed necklace to Dumbledore. Somehow that plan failed when the hex got out of control and Katie was brought to the infirmary as well. Once again the evidence had been found and examined by Snape and Mcgonagal.

He was lucky that neither incidents were traced back to him; and even more fortunate that Jaime didn't notice the bottle of meade while she occupied his room, but Draco he didn't come up with something else, Dumbledore would be the least of his problems. And so would Jaime. Draco's train of thought was abruptly broken by the feeling of someone grabbing onto his arm with a vice like grip. He quickly looked up and saw that it was Argus Filch, looking down at him with a nasty glare. Naturally Draco gave the squib one of his own.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked venomously. Argus looked at the blonde wizard undaunted by attempts at intimidation.

"I could ask you the same thing, boy. Are you aware Professor Slughorn is holding a party at the moment?" He asked still holding onto Draco's arm. Naturally, Draco tried to break free by latching onto the squibs arm, but when that didn't work, Draco tried to appease him.

"Yeah. I know. I was invited, but I stepped out for some fresh air". He lied hoping that Filch would buy it. Unfortunately, Argus seemed less than convinced and pulled Draco to his feet.

"Well then, let's go see if Professor Slughorn can confirm this". He said. With that, he dragged Draco down the hallway towards the party as the music became louder. Draco pulled and tugged against Argus with every bit of strength that he could conjure, but to no avail. Upon crossing the threshold into the party room, the music immediately came to a pause and all eyes were on Draco and Argus.

"Let go of me,you filthy squib!" Shouted Draco as he was dragged over to where Slughorn was standing.

"Sir, I've just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party". Said Argus.

"Okay, okay! I was gate crashing! Happy!?" Shouted Draco. Keeping up the lie now would just add on the suspicion hanging in the air. So much for subtlety and discretion. Before Slughorn could take control of the situation, Snape stepped up to the two of them.

"Ill escort him out". He said authoritatively. Seeing the head of Slytherin house made Draco stop his struggling long enough to look Snape in the eye and challenge him. Despite the fact that Draco was no where near as powerful as Snape, the blonde wizard hated being underestimated by anyone, even a grown up.

"Certainly..professor". He said quietly. With that, Draco wretched himself free from Argus' grip and walked out of the party room with Snape following close behind him. As soon as the two of them were out of hearing range, the former potions master began his lecture.

"I know you heard about Katie Bell falling prey to a cursed necklace. That was your doing wasn't it?" He asked accusingly. Draco tried to speed walk away from the man, but even he couldn't resist a minor jab in Snape's direction.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. What's it to you?" He asked. Before he could take another step down the darkened hallway, Draco found himself shoved up against the stone wall with Snape in his face, looking down at the blonde Slytherin.

"I swore to protect you, dammit. I made the unbreakable Vow". He said in a frustrated tone. Draco raised his hands up to where Snape's were holding him against the wall.

"I don't need your protection. I was chosen for this. Out of all others, me!" He said defensively. He hoped he was convincing enough for Snape to loosen his grip. The former potions master did just that, but not enough to where Draco could escape his grasp.

"You're scared, Draco. You attempt to conceal it but it's obvious. Let me help you". He said trying to reason with the young death eater. Personally, Snape didn't believe that Draco had the constitution to commit murder. Sure, he came pretty close with Weasley and Katie Bell; but that was little more than weak willed attempts at the real thing. The real act of hardening your heart and having blood on your hands; something that Snape was well versed in ever since he joined Voldemort's side. Unfortunately, Draco's skill set was limited to trickery, deception, and self serving ambitions. This was part of the reason why he agreed to help Draco under the conditions of the Unbreakable Vow. But being the obstinate boy that he was, Draco refused to listen.

"No. I was chosen for this! This is my moment!" Said Draco still defensive. Seeing as how partial reassurance wasn't working, now came the time to threaten him with something close to Draco's heart.

"Then I hope you reach your moment long enough to keep your precious Jaime out of trouble. Now that your father knows what's going on, there's no telling what the Dark Lord knows. And if this mission turns out to be a failure, the Dark Lord won't just kill you out right. He'll go after what you hold most dear and subject them to torture the likes of which you've never heard of; once he's done with them and he's made you watch you'll be next in line to face his wrath. And since Jaime seems to be the most viable option...well killing her outright would be the best case scenario". He said, letting the threat hang in the air. Instantaneously, Draco's defensive walls came down and his face began to pale in fear. Before and after he became a death eater, Draco had heard all kinds of horror stories from his father about what dark wizards did to their captives under Voldemort's supervision. Especially the female ones. For blood traitors they were given to a specific wizard and made into a breeding slave.

Once the baby was born, the witch was given to another dark pureblood wizard to repeat the process again, until they could no longer bear children. But for captured muggle borns, it was much worse. They were put on some form of birth control and were subsequently gang raped by scores of dark wizards until their death. Draco's stomach lurched and his heart leapt into his chest at the though of Jaime being violated by the hundreds of death eaters that were in Voldemort's ranks. The look of betrayal, pain, and despair as her body was internally and externally violated sent a surge of strength through him that allowed him to break out of Snape's grasp, breathing shallowly.

"I can handle it from here". He said. But Snape didn't seem convinced.

"You'd better. I'm not only looking after you, but I'm reporting your progress to your father and the Dark Lord. Shape up and start doing your duty. Or suffer your new little love interest". Said Snape wit a minor sneer. That being said, he took off down the hall leaving Draco with a new melancholy though to ponder.

* * *

By the time the nostalgia of the memory wore off, Draco stood before the vanishing cabinet with a new object in hand to test the cabinets power. A bird that he took from its cage when no one was looking. Since the experiment with the apple worked well enough; as it came back to Draco with a bite in it, he decided to move up to try his hand at living things and see the results. In a sick way, Draco thought that he was liberating the poor creature from it's confinement only to send it off to it's death. At least it wouldn't suffer anymore.

Without a single shred of remorse to distract him, Draco placed the bird inside the cabinet and shut it tight before it could escape. The action almost reminded Draco of himself and his own shortcomings. Nonetheless, he made his way out of the room of Requirement and made for the Slytherin common room to prepare for Christmas Break. There was no telling what was in store for him when he went home.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: Happy 2018.** **Here's a new chapter brought to you by my nonexistent update schedule. Honestly, the only excuse that I can give at this point is that I'm back in college now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave this story hanging. All I ask is that you all be patient with me. Thank you. Harry Potter and the characters associated with it do not belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling.** **The only characters I own are Jaime, Oliver, and the new character being introduced in this chapter.**

* * *

 **In the previous chapter:** Nonetheless, he made his way out of the room of Requirement and made for the Slytherin common room to prepare for Christmas Break. There was no telling what was in store for him when he went home.

* * *

 **Now:** The climate in Wizarding Greece was significantly warmer than the chilliness of London. Nonetheless, when Jaime and Oliver first used the port key which was really just a rock with the family insignia carved into it, they found themselves standing in front of a four story house that was beautifully carved out of stone, with three Ionic stone pillars on each side of the porch. Despite the majesty of the house, it was located in a mostly wooded area a good ways out from the town. Jaime surveyed the area around the two of them as a small gust of wind blew her hair off her shoulders and down her back.

But even with the breeze that was blowing, the heat was still playing it's cruel trick on the siblings. Jaime didn't let it bother her too much whereas Oliver was wiping a thick layer of sweat from his forehead. Not wanting her brother to collapse from a heat stroke, Jaime removed a beautifully carved, golden key from deep within her hand bag; a key that she hadn't touched since she retrieved it at age 13 and used twice at 14. Once for a family vacation and again on a Christmas break much like this one. There were other times where she occupied the wooded area with family, but those were times that she convinced herself were long behind her.

She turned to the very first Ionic pillar on the right side of the house and unveiled a hidden key hole using verbal wand less magic. Upon inserting the key into it's appointed hole, a once invisible gate began to appear before them in a film of smoky gas. By the time it was done solidifying, it began to open up for the siblings; as did the front door. Oliver began to gather his things and a few of Jaime's and made his way inside. Behind him, Jaime surveyed the landscape one more time, grabbed for the key, and rushed inside with the rest of her stuff. Much like the exterior of the house, the interior was just as grand.

To the right of the siblings was the door to dining room that contained a large circular table , 8 chairs, and the kitchen further inside. Hanging above the table was a small, but beautiful crystal chandelier that well complimented the mahogany aesthetic of the furniture. The kitchen was also well decorated with beautifully polished sandle wood cabinets, marble counter tops , and well maintained appliances. Directly in front of them was another large circular table that also held 8 chairs and was considered a sort of living room to make up for the abundance of space in the center of the room.

Further away on the other side of the table was an entry way to the library, and on either side of the library was a set of stairs that lead to the second floor. The second floor was where most of the bed rooms were. Meanwhile, the third floor contained a lesser hallway of bedrooms as well as an entertainment room that held a pool table, a mini bar, and a terrace that overlooked the vast scenery of the wooded area and a little bit of the town. The fourth floor was where Olenna's quarters were that held a mini plant nursery and a balcony type of sitting area with furniture to be sat on; also near the back of the house. To the left of where Jaime and Oliver were standing was an actual living room that contained a vast amount of long and short cream colored couches and loveseats, a oak brown fireplace, and an assortment of potted plants. Some ficuses, and others aloe.

As Jaime's eyes scanned the house and it's amenities, she found herself exhaling a deep sigh. For all the nostalgia that was to be had, she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this visit than just a family get together. However, Oliver seemed more interested in locating the matriarch of the house, as his eyes scanned high and low for their great great grandmother.

"Do you think we came to early?" He asked. Jaime turned to look at him with a small shrug.

"Maybe. But she didn't exactly set a time for when we were meant to be here, so frankly I think we're okay". She responded. From above them, a new voice chimed in.

"The two of you are better than okay. You're remarkable". It said. Standing on the staircase to the right was a tall man with shoulder length black hair, brown eyes, and a well trimmed beard. Instead of their family matriarch, Jaime and Oliver now stood before their late mother's older brother, Mathias Reiss. Jaime's eyes lit up in nostalgia as she looked upon the man and for a moment, her mind flashbacked to being in a wooded area much like the one surrounding the house; only she was standing in front of a cabin like house. Before her was a man who down on his knees, hung his head in a melancholy gesture and has his hands on Jaime's shoulders. The way he spoke her name had a melancholy tone to it as well.

 **"Jaime. Jaime. I believe in you. I'm always on your side".** He said. As quickly as it happened, Jaime's train of nostalgia was broken by Mathias' voice once. She quickly shook her head and looked back up at the wizard who still stood on the stairs.

"What was that?" She asked. The wizard raised one of his eyebrows in intrigue and minor surprise, but quickly let it go.

"I said that the two of you can head up to your rooms. Olenna won't be back until tonight". He said. Oliver looked perturbed by this just as he started to walk towards the left staircase with his bags.

"Did something serious come up? I wasn't expecting a welcoming party or anything, but shouldn't she be here to welcome us back. I mean she was the one who sent the letter". He inquired. Malachite casually descended the staircase and approached the siblings with a familiar, but slightly guarded look in his eyes. Jaime picked up on this, but let it go until Olenna came back.

"No, nothing serious. She just had to run out and take care of a few errands. Nothing the two of you need worry about. This is your vacation, so use this time to vacate your minds and bodies. I imagine they're pretty worn out from all the academic stress the two of you are under. Then again with your brains, I'm sure it was nothing the two of you couldn't handle". He explained. Hearing those words, Jaime felt her knuckles turn white and her fingernails sharply digging into her skin from balling her fists too hard at Mathias' words. Mathias took notice of this and raised his eyebrow in an almost challenging manner. But Jaime found the strength to bite her tongue, nod her head and form an answer that completely differed from what she really wanted to say.

"Yeah. We've been getting by well. Thank you. Excuse me". she responded. Before Mathias could say another word, Jaime moved to gather her luggage and walk up the stairs to her room. She walked past her uncle, not meeting his gaze, but knowing full well that that challenging look was still in his eyes. Once again, Jaime bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else to him. Try as she might, she couldn't let his words go over her head; they hurt wore than anything a bully could ever say to her. It was almost as if he didn't care, or just buried his true feelings where no one could see them. But the fact remained that Jaime and Oliver didn't just lose their parents in that fire. Mathias lost a sister and a brother in law; yet as far back as Jaime could remember, Mathias almost always spoke in riddles and hid his true feelings behind a near stony exterior. Except for that one time, all those years ago in the mountain side of Greece. At last, she reach her bedroom and opened the unlocked door, despite the key still being in the key hole. Jaime grabbed her luggage and made her way inside.

It was just as she remembered it with walls being painted a light ocean blue color that contrasted nicely with the cream white color of the carpeted floor. The room was spacious enough that the carpet covered every square inch of the floor. To the right side of the room was a closet that was also painted the same shade as the walls as well as a rectangular desk that was stacked with books that differed in size and color. Some muggle based, others not. Accompanied by the books were various knick knacks that ranged from metal money banks to miniature nut crackers, framed photos, and even a tin can that was circular and thin but somehow managed to contain a surplus amount of decorative pens. A small slither of light passed through the thin material of the blue curtains and was transformed into an ocean green color. Being in this room again, Jaime felt as if she were caught in a tide, slowly drifting out to sea. A sea that held all the calm, serenity, and simplicity that was hitherto part of her life before the fire, before al of the grief, pain, and heart ache. But somehow, Draco came along and made himself an anchor to keep her steady; a port for her to dock in when she was drifting she owed him for it.


End file.
